Don't let the clocks going back make you SAD
Losing an hour of daylight can have a massive effect on people during the winter months. Many of us experience the winter blues when the clocks go back, however for some people the symptoms can be more serious and long lasting.
Did you know that the term SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder? It’s a recognised diagnosable depression that effects approximately one in three people in the UK.
There are lots of things you can do during the winter months to help with loss of energy and low mood.
Move your body
Although exercising will be the last thing that you feel like doing on a cold dark day, it is actually one of the best things you can do to lift your mood and make you feel more energetic. 20 minutes is enough to raise your heart rate and allow you to reap the benefits. Why not take a tour of the facilities available at the Academy of Sport and Wellbeing? Student memberships are only £10 a month.
Soak up some daylight
Most of us will be going to and from work in the dark, but if you have a lunch hour make sure that you leave your desk and get outside for some fresh air and daylight.
Eat well
The cold dark weather makes most of us reach for stodgy comfort food, but try to stick to foods that provide low releasing energy and are not high in processed sugars.
Some of the best mood-boosting foods are:
Oily fish
Oats
Bananas
Lentils
Chicken and turkey
Spinach
Brazil nuts
Cereal
Blueberries
Dark Chocolate (a small square, not the whole bar though!)
Socialise
It can be easy to cancel, or not make plans, in the winter months but having something to look forward to will actually help lift your mood during the long dark weeks. Spending time with other people can also energise and spark your brain.
Get good quality sleep
The darker nights can mean staying in and watching lots of TV. Limit the type of programmes you watch just before you go to bed so that your mind is not racing when you go to turn off the lights. Also make sure that you cut down on stimulates such as coffee and alcohol as they can disturb your sleep. Turn off electrical devices – including your phone – one hour before you are due to go to bed so that your mind has time to wind down.
Keep hydrated
It’s really important to keep our bodies hydrated so that they can function properly. If you aren’t drinking enough throughout the day, you will notice that your concentration levels drop. Ideally you should be drinking 1-2 litres of water a day. If you struggle with drinking plain water, why not add some fruit to infuse it? Tea also counts towards your allowance, but just remember to not add unnecessary sugar to it!
Manage your stress levels
Practicing all of the points mentioned above will help to lower your stress levels, but you can also keep a stress diary for a few weeks to monitor the situations and incidents that are causing you stress. Giving each stressful episode a rating can help you to develop better coping mechanisms and give you the tools needed to avoid stressful situations.
Did you know that this week is International Stress Week? Perth College UHI is offering a range of things on campus to help our students deal with any stress that they may be experiencing.
Free gym access - today, Wednesday 6 November - at the Academy of Sport and Wellbeing
Student drop-ins will run within the Student Support Hub this Tuesday to Friday
Self-help stress resources will be available for free outside the Student Support Hub all week
Wellbeing and Support Officers, Alex Weir and Vanessa Robb, will be running a Mental Health Workshop – today, Wednesday 6 November - from 1-2pm in room 204 in the Brahan Building.
