Did you know it’s normal to feel a change in your mood during winter? Cooler weather can affect your sleep and energy levels, too. But here’s the good news – our 6 Pillars of Wellbeing can keep you feeling good, no matter what the season.
Here are some ways to weave our 6 Pillars into your daily life throughout winter.
Chill is all about reducing stress. It’s the things you do to calm your mind, relax your body, and switch off your fight or flight response. And, if you think about it, winter is actually the perfect time to Chill. There tends to be less on and we naturally embrace a slower pace of life.
Have a hot bath or shower with the lights turned off. Light some candles, too, if you fancy!
Practise your deep breathing.
Even if the weather outside is a little frightful, getting back to nature is pure Chill for the soul – rug up and get amongst the outdoors.
Set reminders to find moments of calm throughout the day. Take five minute power breaks to stretch, switch off from technology, and pause the mind and body from the busyness of life.
Do is all about learning. It’s the things you do to keep your brain active and stay creative. And while it can be hard to muster up the energy and enthusiasm to do stuff in winter, there’s all sorts of great benefits that come from learning. From boosting happiness to rewiring your brain, Do will help you stay sharp and feel good this winter.
You could enrol in an online course about anything that interests you – there’s so much available online now.
Give yourself a daily brain teaser or Wordle to solve. See if you can improve each day, or challenge a group of friends.
Puzzles are back in a big way, and can be something to chip away at when you’re looking to give technology a break.
Learning a language is an incredible way to expand your mind. Even just the basics can open up a new world of connections and possibilities.
Have a tricky book you’d like to tackle? Winter is a great time to up your reading hours.
Dive into a thought-provoking TV or podcast series to keep your brain active.
Connect is all about connecting with and helping others. It’s the things you do to strengthen relationships, socialise, give back and volunteer. You may not always feel like getting out and about during winter, but social connections trigger oxytocin (the feel-good bonding hormone) – so it’s worth the effort.
Winter is the ideal time to have a good ol’ clear out at home and donate to a local charity shop. While you’re there, you could volunteer for a charity drive or project.
If you have a food pantry or shelter in your town, make or donate a hot meal for those in need. Why not see if your friends or family are interested in getting in on the action too?
Host a mid-winter event/dinner party at your house.
From book clubs to movie nights, try to add regular events to your social calendar.
Move is all about keeping physically active. And this doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym or heading out for a 10km run. Even just 30 minutes of movement a day can be hugely beneficial for our mind and body – so pick an activity you enjoy.
Try an indoor sport. From squash to swimming to dance, there are plenty of options to get your heart rate up without having to brave the cold.
There’s also a lot of joy to be had from rugging up, getting out and about to do your exercise, and then heading home for a hot shower. How good.
You could challenge yourself to something new, like a mid-winter dip, or entering a sports event that you need to train for. Having a goal to achieve can provide great motivation to get moving.
With yoga and fitness classes available online, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of home to get your sweat on!
When in doubt, get out for a brisk lunchtime walk – and get that all-important natural light too.
Celebrate is all about taking time to celebrate and appreciate YOU. It’s the things you do to notice the positive, be kind to yourself, and to feel good about yourself.
We’re not always that great at celebrating our own achievements or milestones because it feels a bit like a guilty pleasure. But when you need a dose of positivity, there’s no harm in turning the spotlight on who you are and why you’re so awesome!
While it may feel a little awkward to begin with, have a go at writing down all of your past successes. You’re allowed to be proud of them!
The middle of the year is the perfect time to reflect on the past six months. Reflect on all the things that went well, big or small.
You could also set some goals for the second half of the year, to give you a few things to aim for. This is a great way to set yourself up for some celebrations come summer.
Create a vision board that captures all the things you like about yourself. It might be something you’d hide away from guests, but you can always check it out when you need a quick confidence boost.
Enjoy is all about having things to look forward to. It’s the things you do for pleasure and fun, and to practice self-care. And in winter, we definitely need to take the time to prioritise all kinds of stuff that we enjoy – it helps to keep those low moods from moving in.
Mark out time in your day, everyday, to do something you enjoy.
Get creative and cook a meal from scratch, with all of the ingredients you love most.
Laughter really can be the best medicine for low mood, so check out your favourite comedian, or watch shows/movies that really uplift you.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of planning a holiday – so if you can, do it!
You could also look to summer and lock in some dates/catch ups with people you haven’t seen for a long time – it’s always great to have something to look forward to.
Groov’s 6 Pillars – Chill, Do, Move, Connect, Celebrate, and Enjoy – are the foundation to good wellbeing. Doing one thing every day from each of the 6 Pillars will keep you feeling good and functioning well, and even build up your resilience during times of stress. Learn more about our 6 Pillars right here.