Bye bye winter blues
Feeling a bit low with the arrival of the darker nights is very common, but there are some easy ways to put a spring back in your step
Not feeling quite yourself since we said goodbye to the summer? You’re not alone. While every winter we arm ourselves with medication to tackle winter colds and coughs, one ailment we might not be quite as prepared for is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – also known as the winter blues.
Thought to affect around one in 15 people in the UK between September and April*, Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of depression related to the change in seasons, especially at this time of year. The symptoms include low energy, feeling lethargic, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, mood changes, poor or changed appetite and a weakened immune system.
It is directly linked to a lack of sunlight brought on by the shorter days, especially once the clocks go back. The good news is that there are lots of simple ways you can get in control of SAD and be happier and healthier this winter.
Get outdoors
Make a conscious effort to get outside and soak up some fresh air at least once a day. Wrapping up for a nice, long stroll or even just leaving the car for a walk to the shops could do you the world of good, as exercise is another great way of bolstering your mood against the winter weather.
Midday is a good time to get out as the sun is likely to be at its strongest. Think about having your breakfast in the garden on sunny days or eat by the window to feel the benefits of the sunlight first thing.
Get your 5 a day
What you eat at this time of year is important too. Pile your shopping trolley with lots of fruit and veg to help fill you with virus-fighting vitamins as well as giving your mood a boost. If you have time, cook up and freeze a batch of homemade soups, packed with seasonal veg, to warm you up and lift your spirits on the darker, winter days.
Light up your life
One of the best ways to make up for the lack of sunlight at this time of year is to make your own. SAD lights artificially recreate sunlight and can trick our brains into making us feel better. Ideal for home or away, SAD lights are a really convenient way of alleviating the winter blues with a quick burst of light a day. With a light intensity of over 10,000 lux they are a great stand-in for the sun and can be used both to treat and/or prevent the effects of SAD.
■ For more information and advice visit your local LloydsPharmacy. To shop the full Betterlife range call the team today on 03303 335582 or shop online at betterlife.co.uk
understand how to change gears and had a bad habit of wandering on to the wrong side of the road. My instructor used to pull my hair to keep me on the right side. After I passed, my friends and family weren’t too keen on driving with me – except for my gran, who said that as she’d had her life it wouldn’t matter if she were in an accident!”
Hair-pulling was overstepping the mark for sure, but my sympathies are with the driving instructors as they have a tough job, especially with learners like Kathy Blundell: “On my first lesson, the instructor explained about the mirror and the pedals and told me I wasn’t to worry as he had dual control. Off we went. He said, ‘Don’t go too fast! Slow down’. I replied indignantly, ‘You’re the one with the pedals, I’m only learning’.”
Carol Keates had a more helpful teacher: “Being only 5ft tall, seeing over the steering wheel and reaching the pedals were a challenge for me! My driving instructor had two wooden blocks that he put under the seat to tilt it forward. That wouldn’t be allowed now!”
After Carol failed her test twice due to nerves, her instructor came up with another ingenious idea: “He advised me to contact my GP who obliged by prescribing a sedative to help me through the next test. Duly relaxed, I sailed through. But when the examiner asked me to sign the pass form, my hands were shaking so much I couldn’t write, so I guess the ‘sedative’ was only a placebo – but it did the trick!” The mind boggles at how things might have gone if Carol’s doctor had actually prescribed a dose of Valium…
Whenever Wendy Chappell asked her instructor if she could take the test, his answer was always, ‘I don’t think you are quite ready yet’. “The final straw came on the day I reversed the car into a ditch. He left me to go in search of a telephone box. When he came back, we had to wait another half an hour for the breakdown truck to reach us.
“At the time I had a very strict boss and I asked the instructor if he would drop me back at work. Fortunately, when I dashed in 40 minutes late and said I had to be pulled out of a ditch, she roared with laughter.
“I have never driven since, but have kept fit, done lots of walking and, most importantly, kept death off the roads!”
This Green Cross Code TV ad in the Seventies was targeted at children