5 ways to beat the winter SADs
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is actually a “thing”, so if you feel a little depressed when mid-winter hits, you’re not alone.But I'm jumping to your rescue with 5 ways you can beat those cold weather blues and make the chilliest days of winter feel like summer again!
Shift your morning workout or walk to lunch time – and take it outdoors!
This takes a little planning but it IS possible and makes winter so much easier. Why? Because you don’t have to haul yourself out of bed before dawn, meaning you’re working with your natural body clock, plus you’re getting some quality time out in the sunshine every day, which tops up your internal happiness balance by boosting feel-good hormones. If you don’t want to give up your morning sweat sessions, try at least taking a 15-minute walk in your lunch hour. It makes all the difference to your day, promise!
Grab yourself an artificial sunrise alarm clock
Why does it feel so hard to haul your butt out of bed before dawn? Because your entire biology is set up to rise with the sunshine and retire with the sunset. This isn’t always possible in winter, but there is a way to trick your body clock into waking up more naturally, by using a dawn simulator. These alarm clocks wake you up with a gradual brightening light, creating a natural cue for your body to reduce the production of sleep hormones and wake on up. These clocks literally make waking up enjoyable, even if you’re a 5am riser!
Try switching to Bulletproof-ish coffee
You don’t have to go all-out and add a giant tablespoon of butter to your coffee to enjoy all the benefits of a higher fat brew, but switching your regular milky fix for as little as a quarter teaspoon each of butter and coconut oil can help you kill cravings, boost brain function and clear that morning brain fog, without the usual spike and crash caffeine can leave you dealing with. If that’s still too much for you, swapping for a generous teaspoon of heavy cream can still deliver some of those benefits. If you have a blender that can blitz hot liquids, try whizzing this morning treat up to create a delicious frothiness to rival your local barista!
Make your brain happy with these foods
Add a few (or all!) of these brain-loving foods to your breakfast each morning to dial up the happiness factor and boost focus too; wild caught salmon or sardines, green veggies, nuts and blueberries! If you’re not keen on putting this all together on one plate, try these combos:
- Salmon and chopped greens in an omelette or baked in frittatas
- Sardines with a big scoop of hummus or guacamole on a piece of toast
- Nuts and blueberries in porridge
- Plain greek yoghurt with nuts and blueberries, plus a green veggie juice
* Bonus! Low sugar dark chocolate is also an amazing brain booster – maybe not for breakfast but as an afternoon treat, you can’t lose! We love Pumpy Jackson, which you can grab in Australia from thisnaturallife.com.au
Book an active escape
A week in the sunshine, with a schedule of yoga, workouts, surfing, or hikes to choose from, and healthy food you don’t have to cook yourself? Sounds like the perfect way to break up winter into manageable chunks to us! Just Google the kind of retreat you’re vibing, then book it, we dare you ;)