We can all be prone to moments of low mood in winter and if winter fatigue gets you down, we have some great natural winter wellbeing tips to help lift your mood and support your emotional health through the cold weather months.
Why do we feel down in the winter?
According to the UK mental health charity Mind, it is not unusual for our mood to be affected by the changing of the seasons.
End-of-year tiredness and a lack of energy can contribute to feelings of winter fatigue and if you find that your mood is low, or that you feel angrier or more anxious during the winter, it is important that you take time to support your mental wellbeing.
If your low mood is persistent and impacting on daily life, we also encourage you to discuss this with your GP.
Tips to support mood in winter
The following tips are little things that we find help lift our mood on cold, dark wintery days.
EMBRACE AN EARLY START
If the long dark evenings get you down, make the most of the sunlight hours to help the body stimulate the happiness hormone serotonin.
For a positive start to your day, wrap up warm and head out for a morning walk or jog and the quiet and still morning hours might just reward you with a mood-boosting winter sunrise or a wildlife sighting!
Once you’re back home, warm up by showering with Moisturising Shower Gel which delivers the uplifting aroma of citrus oils and Neroli as it gently cleanses the skin.
FEED YOUR MOOD
Serotonin-rich foods such as chicken, tofu and fish can all form part of a balanced diet and eating a healthy meal full of Omegas and nutrients can help to stave off sluggish feelings.
If little treats lift your mood, enjoy them as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dairy indulgences like cheese, milk and cocoa are also thought to contain serotonin – the trigger for the happiness hormone.
Your choice of drink can also affect your mood. Winter is a great time to warm up with a comforting hot chocolate or coffee, but you can also try adding slices of organic lemon to your water to provide a natural boost to your winter wellbeing.
WRITE OUT YOUR WORRIES
If you feel more anxious in winter, it might help to tame your use of tech and social media sites and to write out your worries. Make a to-do list to divide long and overwhelming tasks into smaller, achievable actions and reward yourself when you complete them.
Keeping a gratitude journal is another way to channel negative thoughts into positives by focussing on the highlights of your day.
BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH WINTER EXERCISES
When it’s dark and rainy, it can be hard to find the motivation to go to the gym or for a run, but it remains important to workout both body and mind.
Practising yoga, Pilates and mindfulness are all fantastic way to support a low mood in winter and you can either go to a class or practice at home with an online tutorial.
Some forms of yoga and Pilates are more energising are best done in the morning to help wake the body up and start the day with a boost of positivity. Other forms of exercise are gentler and can help the body to relax and prepare for restful sleep.
If you have stiff joints or notice any niggles after your practice, work a small amount of Alexandra Kay Time to Restore Magnesium Lotion into warm skin to benefit from the muscle-easing properties of Magnesium and the soothing aroma of 10 essential oils blended to help relax unwind the mind before bed.
Alexandra Kay Time to Restore Magnesium Lotion 200ml
A hydrating natural Magnesium lotion to ease muscle fatigue and reinforce the skin barrier
£38.00
Read more about wellbeing after exercise.
GET COSY
As the saying goes, a tidy space is great for the mind and we’re firm believers that clear workspace that’s tailored to your needs will help to get your working day off to a good start.
Adding a few personalised touches to your workspace, such as a diffuser for essential oils, can make it a happy and productive place to be during the darker winter months.
INSTANT MOOD BOOSTER
For an extra boost of winter wellbeing and positivity, dispense a few drops of our Time to Smile essential oil into your diffuser. A natural blend of happiness in a bottle, the Sweet Orange and Cedarwood scent evokes feelings of optimism.
Alexandra Kay Time to Smile Essential Oil Blend 10ml
An uplifting essential oil blend to revitalise the mind and boost happiness
£20.00
Keep up the comfortable feeling of cosiness after work by changing into some snug loungewear and your favourite fluffy socks before finding time for some evening escapism by watching your favourite tv show/ film with loved ones.
Reading, cooking and crafts are all also great mood boosting ways to relax your mind on winter evenings. You might also find it helps your mood to look ahead to the warmer weather months and plan day trips and holidays that you are looking forward to.
To create a relaxing evening aroma in your home, add a few drops of Time to Relax to your home diffuser. A serene blend of tranquillity-inducing essential oils with a calming, sweet
Shop winter wellbeing mood-boosters
You can find all of our pure essential oil blends in our Me Time Scents Kit which makes it easy to adapt your home aroma to best suit your mood.
All our Me Time scents are also compatible with our Time to Inhale Handheld diffuser which provides a discreet way to benefit from the soothing scent of essential oils when away from home.
Alexandra Kay Me Time Scents
Save £15 with this mindful gift set of pure essential oil wellbeing blends
£45.00
Alexandra Kay Time to Inhale Handheld Diffuser
Find a moment for ‘me time’ wherever you go with Time to Inhale.
£20.00
Need more information on incorporating our mood-boosting essential oil blends into your winter wellbeing regime? Our UK customer care team is available to help and can be contacted on [email protected] or on social @GreenPeopleUK.
We hope that our winter mood-boosters have made you smile today. If winter is affecting your mental health we encourage you to talk to your GP or one of the fantastic UK mental health charities such as Mind, who have some great resources on how to access emotional health support.
If you wish to republish this content, please credit Green People as the original creator with a link to "Winter wellbeing tips to boost your mood". Please do not use an affiliate link
Free UK delivery on orders over £35
Extended returns for Christmas