5 Ways To Avoid
The Winter Blues
I thought what better images to use when chatting about darker nights and cold wet weather, than a little floral dress to brighten the mood. It may well have been the beginning of September when these images were shot in New York for fashion week, but believe me it felt more like the middle of November according to my shivers. Ducking in and out of doorways to avoid the rain, trying to make umbrellas stay alive between shows and finding the tiniest moments of dry weather to shoot images with goosebumps all down my legs.
There's some wonderful aspects of the Autumn/Winter season that I wholeheartedly embrace. The cosy fires at your Mum's house, bringing out last year's cashmere accessories and kicking your way through crisp fallen leaves in the parks near to your flat but sometimes it's hard not to let the cold, dark nights leave you feeling a little flat.
Here are just a coupe of the ways I try to avoid the Winter blues and bring a bit more Winter sunshine into the colder seasons.
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CHANGE UP YOUR WARDROBE
As the seasons change, so does my wardrobe. Cue layers, cosy accessories and the excitement of seeing last season's runway trends making their way into the high street stores - but you definitely don't have to spend money to remix your look. Delving into my favourite clothing from last year is always a sure fire way to generate a little distraction from the dreary evenings for me. Why not pull out all of the items you still love, that will work for the new season, and bring them to the front of your rail - as you'll be more inclined to wear them. And you'll also see whether you may need just one or two new fashion pieces to mix up your outfits a little. Just as we all do throughout the year, we can use our wardrobe to brighten up our look, our day and our mindset and brighten up those darker days.
RESTYLE YOUR ROOM/HOME
I love decorating/restyling with the seasons, it's not just spring that deserves a huge clean/rearrange! I'm very much one of those people who lives by the motto 'Tidy room tidy mind'. If my office/bedroom/home is messy I can't even begin to concentrate on any other tasks at hand and if I'm going to focus on having a positive mindset when the dark nights appear, then I'm overhauling the house. Again another fun task to focus on, but more so you can transform your space into anything that leaves you feeling more upbeat. Whether that's wonderful new bedding and adding lots of comfy cushions into your bedroom to create an Autumnal den or a huge declutter of your office space and some softer more forgiving lighting. Just because it's dreary outside doesn't mean it has to be inside!
KEEP UP WITH EXERCISE
It doesn't have to be a HIIT work out at a gym, it can just be a walk around your local park or a session in the pool to leave you feeling like you could conquer the world. Listen to your body and everything in moderation, but when it comes to exercise sometimes we all need a little reminder of how good it is for us. Not just for our physical health but for our mental health too. The chemicals that exercise release will have a huge impact on how you feel throughout your day and give you a boost in combating stress any time of year. The injection of feel good chemicals will also give you a helping hand during the darker months and help improve your feeling of wellbeing too. I know its dark and rainy outside, but think how amazing you'll feel when you're walking home in your gym kit after an amazing workout.
MAKE SOME PLANS
Yes this time of year can be full of incredibly wonderful events from after work get togethers to festive meals with friends, but don't take for granted that invites will drop onto your doorstep, and instead make some plans yourself! Having something to look forward to is such an amazing way to fend off the Winter blues - what will cheer you up more than spending time with people who care about you and make you smile? It doesn't have to be pricey either. Invite some friends round for a meal, head out for 1 or 2 drinks at your local and make sure there are things to look forward to after the festive period too. January can be another tough time to deal with the blues so break it up with a visit to/from one of your favourite people.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR DIET
No one loves indulging in a cheeseboard more than me, I think you all know that cheese is the key to my heart, but we all know how much our mood can take a nosedive if we aren't looking after our bodies from the inside too. A bad diet where we overindulge far more than just treating ourselves to the things we love can take a toll on our sleep pattern, our energy levels and even our ability to fend off illness. During the darker months it always seems more important than ever to make sure our diet is varied and full of the things that will boost our brain power like foods rich in fatty acids and vitamin D.
Can't wait to hear your top tips for beating the end of year blues too!
