Dark nights may be drawing in, but one mum is showing The expert helping to find your winter mojo

IT’S that time of year when the clocks change, temperatures plummet and the days start getting shorter. With the summer sun – and fun – fading into a distant memory, it can be hard to keep hold of our mojo.

But mental health expert

Jo Jo Fraser says it’s all in the mind…we just need to train our brains to appreciate the months that could be the most wonderful time of the year.

Jo Jo said:“the changing of the seasons into autumn and winter can be a triggering time for people, and it’s more likely to have an impact on you than the transition into spring and summer.

“It’s colder, it’s darker, there is less vitamin D. All you want to do is hibernate, especially this year with all the changes Covid has brought.

“But winter can be fun. We just need to accept that there are four seasons – and focus on the positives.”

Jo Jo, dubbed the Queen of Positivity, turned her attention to researching mental health six years ago, after her dad was admitted to hospital with severe depression.

She now talks regularly about mental fitness on BBC radio and, next month, will give a Tedx talk, focusing on the stigma surrounding it – based on her own experience of burnout earlier this year.

“Nobody would have expected someone who researches mental health to have a mental health issue and not spot it, but that’s exactly what happened to me,” the 38-year-old said.

Jo Jo’s illness started in January. She was exceptionally busy with lots of exciting things on the go.

But her husband expressed concerns about her health.

“He noticed my speech was a little pressured and I really didn’t seem like myself,” Jo Jo said.“i was sleeping less too, and I have always been an eighthour-a-night kind of girl.”

Husband Scott took her to her GP, who suggested signing her off with stress. However a mental health nurse spotted the tell-tale signs and said she was experiencing hypomania which causes periods of over-active and excited behaviour. With a concentration on depression and anxiety, episodes of extreme elation were not something Jojo had heard of.“i felt buzzing,” she said.“and I guess I was enjoying it, but I just couldn’t sustain it. I guess I was in denial.”

The mum-of-three spent 33 nights recovering in hospital.

Now she’s sharing her story in the hope of raising awareness of the stigma of mental health – and something we should be aware of as the colder months creep up on us.

“It can be a time when we lose our mojo, have a bit less energy and feel less inclined to go out and do things, but doing these things will actually help you feel better. It’s all about finding a mojo injection.”

Here are Jo Jo’s top tips for beating the winter blues – and keeping your mind in check until the lighter nights come and the daffodils start to bloom again…

Winter can be fun. You just need to focus on the positives