It takes some effort to beat the winter blues

But exercise and socialise I must, unless I want to become a winter Grinch for four months of every year – one third of the rest of my life. I am grumpy enough naturally, I don’t need seasons to make it worse.

And really, when you think about it, the excuses are weak. Sure, I don’t feel like going out because I’m cold and can’t be bothered… but that’s precisely the time when getting off the couch is most necessary.

The buzz you get after exercise in winter is even better than the one you get in summer because of how hard it was to put those running shoes on and walk out into the dark.

You leave in a glum mood but walk back in the door 30 minutes later, rosy-cheeked and shinyeyed.

Winter in Switzerland is much worse than in Christchurch with sub-zero temperatures and snow. Yet winter markets, Christmas decorations, hot wine and grilled chestnuts sold in the streets make it feel warmer.

We can’t have Christmas decorations here in winter, obviously, but perhaps a more festive winter spirit with markets and lights and decoration would help motivate us to go out more.

There’s nothing better to warm up your house than having friends and family over for rich, hot food . . . and the right bottle of red wine. This year I even have mid-winter Christmas at a friend’s house to look forward to, complete with Secret Santa and a heatpump. Entertaining aside, I am promising myself to make more of an effort during the day as well. It’s easy to blame a lack of sunshine on office hours, but I could easily get out of the building during my lunch break. Sitting out in the sunshine warms you up to your bones, even when the air is cool. So, as we finally prepare to move into our new hillside home, I am trying to see the positives of winter. I’m imagining the sparkling lights and smoking chimneys of Christchurch stretched out like a carpet beneath us and frosty morning walks exploring our new neighbourhood.

The best part is, the hills will do wonders for my leg muscles. Surely exercise counts for double when it’s cold? Q. As one drives along Innes Rd approaching the QEII Dr roundabout, the condition of the road leaves a lot to be desired. For a distance of about 50 metres or more, the switchback nature of this section of a busy main road is quite disconcerting to drive on and the fear is that someone approaching this section at speed, unaware of the undulations, could very well be tossed off the road and into the path of oncoming traffic. There has never been a road sign warning of the uneven surface, despite the fact that it has now been like this for over four years. It may be of interest that part of QEII Dr itself was in a similar condition but was soon restored to its original condition. Could you inform me as to what authority has responsibility for this section of road and approximately how soon it will be before the damage is repaired? – Murray Lennox A. The 20 metres close to the intersection with QEII Dr will be repaired by NZTA and the large depressions further back will be repaired by Scirt. This Scirt project could potentially start in May 2016 and run until September. – Scirt

But exercise and socialise I must.