Keep warm
Be sure to pull out all your layers this winter! Cold weather conditions have been associated with various illnesses including common colds, flu, heart attacks, strokes and pneumonia. Wrap yourself up in several thin layers of clothing as well as hats, scarves and gloves to maintain your body heat.
Eat well
‘Tis the season of over eating, but too much can leave you feeling bloated and fatigued. Try to ensure you are still getting your 5 a day (minimum) by making the most of seasonal fruit and veg such as mandarins, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi as well as broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Perfect for winter soups, stews and casseroles for that comfort food fix.
Think about drink
The festive season is a social time, however, remember to drink responsibly. Alcohol is a depressant and can leave you feeling irritable and low, also bare in mind you blood alcohol levels for when you next need to drive…a few hours sleep may not be enough! Be sure to keep hydrated, coffee and tea may feel cosier in the cold but drink plenty of water to keep you going!
Boss your sleep
The occasional all night party can be good for the soul but do make sure you are getting your 6-8 hours sleep at night! Sleep is your body’s time to recuperate and recover from the busy days. Also, when you aren’t working, try not to play havoc with your routine by having lots of late nights and lie-ins.
Fresh air
Take full advantage of any calm weather you get, it may be cold but wrap up warm and get outside! Health benefits include improving digestion, lower heart rate and blood pressure and helping to strengthen the immune system. Now more than ever we need to take advantage of any time outside the house we can get.
Plan ahead
The festive season is a busy one and can get overwhelming between family, friends, work, food, money and presents! Take some time to plan the week ahead, write lists, set a calendar, anything you can do to organise your thoughts and help to budget your time and money.
Make time for yourself
Having countless demands on your time over through the winter can really take its toll. Set aside some time for yourself doing whatever you need to centre yourself and clear your mind. This could be a morning at a spa, a session at the gym or the 15 minute bubble bath you’ve planned before an early night. Don’t be afraid to have that “me time”, it can make a big difference.
Connect with others
The festive season may be a little different this year, but we can still find ways to share the fun with friends and family. Using video calling such as Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom or Jitsi we can have hours of fun chatting and playing games with our loved ones. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of breaks or time away from the screen, “zoom fatigue”- the the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms of communication is real and can be draining!
