Do more to improve your wellbeing this winter
Less light, less warmth, less good weather – it can seem that winter is all about less. But there are things that we can all do more of to lift our spirits and improve our wellbeing
Drink more: Water is necessary to maintain a healthy body and is the healthiest and cheapest choice for staying hydrated as it has no calories or sugars and is available at your nearest tap. The NHS recommends that we should drink about 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated.
Sleep more: According to The Sleep Council, the average Briton gets just six hours and 35 minutes sleep, not the eight hours a night that most of us need. Sleep isn’t just about resting; it has multiple benefits from helping us heal and repair our bodies to maintaining a healthy weight to helping the brain work properly. As we naturally want to sleep longer in the winter months, why not embrace it as an opportunity to catch up on much needed sleep? You’ll feel better for it. The BBC has created a simple test to see if you are getting enough sleep. You can find out more here.
Relax more: According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), nearly 600,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill. Stress can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. Although a busy modern life does mean that stress is almost unavoidable, it is important to be able to cope with it. Here’s the top 10 stress busting tips from the NHS.
Move more: Exercise will boost your immune system, help you stay healthy and keep your energy levels up, but you don’t have to join the gym to get physically active. Look at ways to incorporate exercise into your daily regime.
Take the stairs. Get off public transport a couple of stops earlier and walk the rest. Park your car as far away as you can from the supermarket, office or school. Research shows that steady aerobic exercise – that is, exercise that increases your breathing rate – triggers the release of endorphins, which make you feel good. Try to spend at least 20 minutes every day in the daylight as natural sunlight can benefit our alertness, mood, productivity and sleep patterns. The NHS has a whole list of ideas to get you active for free, including exercises, games and free equipment.
Adventure more: Get your brain and body active with a new hobby or skill and reap the benefits. There are opportunities everywhere to learn new skills from athletics to swimming to yoga or the less traditional forms of exercise such as rock climbing. New environments and experiences are also good for your brain; challenging it to work harder and think differently.
