So as the Autumn draws to an end and the Winter draws in, it is getting darker & colder and wouldn’t we all feel better if we lived in the south of Spain??!!
BUT WE DON’T
The lack of daylight has a huge effect on mental health, and the cold & dreary days of Autumn & Winter make us all want to snuggle up inside & not dip a toe outside.
But if you or someone in your family or a friend are feeling down, getting outside is what it’s all about. Try to spend at least 30 mins a day outside to banish the blues. It really does help!
You could go for a walk / run first thing in the morning.
While staying in bed for ½ an hour longer seems like a good idea but believe us when we say that even a 20 min walk in the fresh air will set you up for the day. You will ALWAYS feel like a better person afterwards.
If mornings aren’t possible, then lunch break, or get off a few stops earlier on the bus and walk the rest of the way to work.
When you collect the kids from school, the most important part of the day could be the half hour in which you play tag, football or whatever game together in the back garden before homework starts.
And if it’s wet & windy, that’s what coats & wellie boots are for. Wrap up & get going (and no, you don’t catch a cold from being out in the wind & rain, you catch a cold only when you come in contact with a cold virus, which are most easily transmissible indoors!)
Attention to all of us who spend too much time on our mobile phones. Stop gazing & get going instead!
Excessive time spent on social media is shown to have a negative health impact, so don’t let your phone rule your life.
And of course, we may do all these things and still feel a bit low. If this is so, talk to someone. And if you feel that there is no one that you want to talk to contact for free and confidentially:
-Pieta House – 1800 247 247 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
-Samaritans – 116 123 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
-Aware (depressions/anxiety) – 1800 804 848
-Childline (for under 18’s) – 1800 666 666 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
You can look up any of these services on line to see what other help is available out there.
