Sunny side up: solve your winter blues in summer

Have you noticed how much more optimistic you feel when the days are longer and the sun is shining? You might feel more motivated to get up and go outside for a walk, to tackle the DIY you’ve been putting off, or start a healthy eating plan.

There is a reason for this seasonal optimism – the more sunlight there is, the more your brain produces serotonin, the hormone that helps you feel more balanced and in control.

We tend to be calmer and more balanced now than in the darker, more miserable winter months, making it the perfect time to plan and prepare so you have coping mechanisms for times your mood takes a dip.

Here, Katie Colombus, Samaritans assistant director of communications, shows you how.

Do your research

A lot of people will say they wished someone had sat them down and said: “Just in case it ever happens to you, this is what depression, stress and anxiety feels like.”

I have heard someone say they didn’t realise they were depressed because they didn’t feel sad – they felt numb.

Someone else described it as seeing that the sun was shining but they couldn’t feel the heat. I’ve heard a lot of people say the first time they experienced a panic attack, they felt as if they were having a heart attack.

It’s never going to be the same for everybody – there is no “one size fits all” in emotional wellbeing. Mental health looks different to different people – it’s a totally unique experience based on factors all related specifically to you.

But if you feel comfortable doing so, it is worth talking to someone you trust, or using the internet or books to read up a little more on topics such as stress, depression, anxiety or mental ill health.

Learn to listen

Mental health is just as important as physical health.

We need to give ourselves permission to take the time to ask: what’s going on for me at the moment? What are the different things I’m having to deal with? Can I cope with these things alone, or do I need to ask for support?

It’s important to recognise when we’re off kilter because when negative feelings go unchecked, things can start to feel worse and sometimes even escalate into distress.

Starting to use these techniques now means they will have become a skill you can tap into if you become unwell in the future.

At Samaritans, we help people open up about how they might be feeling by questioning, summarising, clarifying and encouraging.

Using the Samaritans “SHUSH” tips can work just as well for self-exploration as it can to help us access and process our emotions: S – Show you care: Make time for yourself, in which you can focus your full, undivided attention on you and only you.

H – Have patience: It may take time and several attempts before you get anywhere. Try to find new ways of exploring your thoughts in a way that is comfortable for you.

U – Use open questions: Develop a good practice each day of asking yourself “How am I feeling?” and “What am I thinking?” You might not realise something is affecting you as much as it is.

S – Say it back: If you’re unsure about talking to someone else about your feelings, write them down. Get your thoughts out of your head by putting them down on paper.

H – Have courage: Selfexploration might feel a little daunting. But rather than repressing an issue, have the confidence to open up.

Rather than repressing an issue, have the confidence to open up

How do you really feel?

Think about how you feel physically when you experience different emotions. For example, stress, anger or sadness might make your stomach churn, cause rapid breathing or your heart to beat faster.

The emotion you feel triggers a thought which in turn affects your behaviour. For example, sadness might end up expressed in withdrawing from people or frustration might end up coming out as anger.

Remember that your emotions are a reaction, not a choice. It’s important to acknowledge and accept them in the moment beacause repressing them can often prolong the physical effects. The more you work at understanding why your'e reacting the way you do, the more you can learn to control the thoughts and behaviours as they occur.

Take time to care

Self-care will also mean different things to different people. For some, it’s about building good habits into our basic routines, like making sure that we eat, sleep, exercise and think well.

For others, it will be about calming the body and mind through things like yoga, breathwork, meditation and mindfulness.

It can also mean creativity, education, connecting with others, forgiving yourself, letting go of things that aren’t good for you and staying hopeful. It might mean getting the right diagnosis for a condition and then working out the best route to recovery and healing.

But overall, it is about treating yourself in the same way you would treat others – with kindness, empathy and compassion.

You might like to try:

Being active Go for a walk, sign up to a fitness challenge or joining a gym. Focusing on nutrition Cook some healthy meals and see if there is anything you’d like to change about your eating habits. Trying to get a better night’s sleep

See if there’s any changes you can make to create a healthier sleep pattern.

Enjoy the moment Go outside and get

some fresh air, practise mindfulness, think about what you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

Learn Enrol in a course, read a book, learn the lyrics or the tune of a song, watch a documentary.

Give Smile at a stranger, volunteer for a good cause, donate to a charity shop. Connect with others Arrange to see a friend, join a community group, call a family member.

Get creative Make a music playlist, do a jigsaw, try an online craft tutorial, sign up to a course.

You know yourself better than anyone else, and therefore you know what it will take to get you to the place you want to be. You are strong enough to work out your own path.

The route may be long and winding and at times we all have moments when it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. But it begins with one single step.

The brain is a wonderful tool and with the right help you can begin to rewire it and retrain your thinking in a way that is beneficial to your body and mind. And if you ever feel like it’s too hard to do alone, there is always someone there to listen.

■■Katie Colombus is the assistant director of communications at Samaritans. She is the author of a new book from Samaritans, Pathways: Your Journey to Emotional Wellbeing (Kyle Books, £12.99)

■■Contact Samaritans FREE at any time on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. Or email jo@samaritans.org