What can we do to improve our own mental health especially at this time of year? My yoga classes have been busy recently and the weather forecasts gloomy. Rain, rain and more rain. With the time change, we are officially in British Winter Time, or the northern hemisphere winter, we have significantly fewer opportunities to be outside in the day light.
Are you one of those people, who get up in the dark, go to work in the dark, and come home in the dark? What impact does that have on our bodies, mental ability, emotions, and mood? Do you ever become Still and check yourself out?
I am very fortunate, I work in a yoga studio with non-glow IR heating panels. This benefits my well-being through the winter months, however, most are not quite so fortunate.
Discussions in class have been around how to manage ourselves at this time of year. From owning the fact that we can become ‘a bit fed up’ at this time of year, to acknowledging SAD syndrome. Mental health issues can become acute as the winter months come upon us.
Protecting Mental Health in the winter
With everyone admitting that we must put thought into our daily routine, to ensure we limit our response to our winter time, the suggestions were:
- Ensure we get outside as much as possible, put in that walk at lunch break.
- Focus on diet, knowing that we may crave comfort food, add in extra fruit, vegetables, eat the sunshine.
- Supplements, perhaps a good multi-vitamin, or vitamin D supplement, flax seeds to gain Omegas.
- Hibernate, ensure enough rest at this time of year, be aware of how nature behaves, and mimic nature.
In addition, be mindful of your own mood swings and emotions, and those around you. Everyone is suffering…
With that in mind, how do you bring this awareness into the Workplace. Do you have down-time, take everyone off for a day or weekend retreat, educate your teams in how to manage their self-care. These are all very legitimate strategies and at Coach Mentoring Ltd we can provide support with developing both the awareness and the strategies to help you.
Or do you weave it into the everyday, without it becoming a general moan about how bad everyone is feeling and how bad the weather is? This takes greater skill.
Perhaps both are required, contact us to learn how you can help yourself, and those around you.
