It’s that time of year again. The sky’s a little greyer, the sun sets before lectures have even finished, and you’re still shivering even under all those layers. Suffering from the ‘winter blues’, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is extremely common, with almost 1 in 4 young people in the UK reporting symptoms, even though it can often feel isolating. As outlined on the NHS website, symptoms often include persistently low mood, low self-esteem and a certain irritability that heightens in the winter months. However, all hope is not lost and together we will beat that melancholy with my five simple top tips.
- Enforcing routine
I know what you’re thinking… easier said than done! And you would be right, it’s all very well making grand promises to ourselves about how we are going to wake up at 6 am every day and go to the gym before breakfast, but that’s simply not always realistic, especially when opening your curtains to nothing but a frosty, dark abyss. However, there are ways to reinforce routine, realistically and guilt-free. One thing that has greatly helped me, as someone with little to no self-motivation, is having accountability. Make a deal with a friend or family member to send each other pictures of your daily routine whether that be a picture of your made bed in the morning or a selfie in a cute outfit en route to your first lecture. As a result, you aren’t just leaving bed for yourself but for another person, which is oddly motivating. Solidifying a routine can also be difficult given that you probably don’t have to wake up at the same time every day at uni. However, meeting your hall friends or housemates for breakfast at a set time incorporates accountability, routine, and healthy habits. You can even make it an occasion! Just grab a couple of friends and your favourite cereal and it’s sure to become a favourite part of your day and an excellent reason to leave your bed on a chilly morning.
- Socialise strictly
It has been proven time and time again that humans need regular social interaction to survive. The lockdown was the perfect example of us all losing a small amount of sanity because we couldn’t leave the house, and the same thing can happen when the winter season sets in. Thus, I would recommend having a routine for socialising. Whether that be a weekly movie night with your friends, a routine post-lecture coffee break with a coursemate or a specific club night you never miss, seeing your friends greatly boosts the serotonin levels in your brain, forces you to leave your bed, and helps fight off that lingering low mood. So, when you’re feeling the grey skies and drizzle becoming a little too oppressive, text that one friend who never fails to make you laugh and I promise you will feel miles better afterwards.
- Invest in your morning routine
The first way you can do this is by investing time. Think about what makes your current morning rituals enjoyable and how the hardest parts of getting up can be made a little easier. For example, I find the hardest thing about winter is leaving my bed in the first place. Therefore, I placed my skincare products right next to my bed as this is something I love about my morning routine. Now that they are directly in my eyeline when I wake up for my 9 am lecture I have an immediate reason to get up and do a small bit of self-care that sets me up in a positive mood for the day. Moreover, if you can spare some cash in the monthly budget, you may invest some money into your morning routine. Some items that have helped me through the winter months include vitamin D supplements that I take every morning with my breakfast that help with immunity and mood during this period of darkness. I also bought a sunrise alarm clock that floods my room with light before my alarm goes off and helps to avoid the all too familiar problem of waking up to chilly darkness, turning off the alarm, and let’s be honest falling straight back to sleep. Finally, some new shower products to help you look forward to your morning showers. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy or expensive but a shower gel with your favourite scent can turn your daily freshen from a chore to an occasion.
- Get into nature
We are so lucky in Nottingham to have an extremely green local area. Whether it’s your daily stroll to lectures on our leafy campus, or a wander through Wollaton Park to grab a coffee and Biscoff blondie (a must-try and definite mood booster!), a green environment immediately triggers a dopamine boost in your brain. It’s even more helpful to be mindful about this, recognising the beauty around you, take lots of deep breaths etc and noticing your mood improve. According to an article in the National Library of Medicine, it is not only the beauty but the multisensory experience of getting outdoors that evokes a positive mental state. It can be difficult to get into green spaces when you are struggling to even leave the house, let alone your bed, but again texting a friend to accompany you or walking instead of taking the bus to an important lecture can go a long way!
- It’s all about the small wins
Sometimes we just have to be kinder to ourselves. Did you go to a lecture you tend to miss? That’s a small win. Cleaned your room for the first time in a few weeks? That deserves to be celebrated. It may feel silly at first, but when the darkness of winter has settled in and it takes all your strength just to do smaller tasks like clean up your desk area, you deserve some credit for even these seemingly little daily accomplishments. Whether you reward yourself with a sweet treat or just a mental pat on the back, just keep in mind that all progress is positive. I find these small wins tend to build up over the day, leaving you feeling good about your productivity in the evening. Sometimes if no one else is going to hype you up for going to your least favourite lecture of the week, you just have to do it yourself.
Overall, it comes down to giving yourself reasons to get out of bed whether that be to meet a friend before a lecture or to enjoy your morning skincare routine to the fullest. Accountability makes a huge difference, as does appreciating the fact that winter can be a difficult time but we are all doing our best.