There is a certain tendency to feel sluggish and a little ‘grey’ in winter. Here are some reminders to add to your day, which are guaranteed to make you feel better!
Eat foods that make you smile
There are heaps of foods that are actually proven to put you in a better mood. Dark chocolate is loaded with Tryptophan which is the perfect thing in winter. Tryptophan is the building block for Serotonin, which is a powerful neurotransmitter, having a huge influence on you feel, including your sleep and mood. So if we don’t have enough Serotonin, we have a higher risk of anxiety and depression. Also a neat little fact is that most of our Serotonin is made in our gut, not the brain like you would naturally assume. So if you feel your gut is a little weak (reacting to certain foods, stomach pains, the list goes on) it’s vital to work out what’s going on for you and heal your gut. Other foods high in Tryptophan are vegetables, turkey, fish and nuts. Just stick to whole foods, including the above, with no processed foods for a week and notice the difference in your energy levels and general outlook. It’s worth it!
Throw stuff out
It’s amazing how much better we feel emotionally when we go through our wardrobe, and throw stuff out that we either don’t like anymore or just don’t wear. Try the same with the office, kitchen and linen cupboard… gosh do the whole house and notice how much lighter you feel. It’s like you’ve simplified your life. Throwing stuff out symbolizes throwing stuff out of our minds that just doesn’t work for us anymore! The only problem is, afterwards we ask ourselves why we didn’t do it earlier?!
Look after YOU
Sometimes we treat others with more kindness than ourselves! But really we need to look after ourselves before we can look after others. Download a free meditation, go to a yoga class and practice breath awareness every day. This can make all the difference from feeling anxious and unfulfilled, to feeling like… you’ve got it handled! The beauty with these three things is they go together perfectly, so if you go to a yoga class, you will cover it all in one go… or you can just make up a routine at home, day or night, doesn’t matter, you choose your time.
What are some of your tricks to feel better in winter? Comment below.
P.S. If there’s anyone in your life (friend, family, employee) who feels they want to do better with their health, please share this post. It might be the fresh perspective they need to feel better.