When the frost begins sticking to the ground and colder days draw near, we may feel a little low. We need to look after our mental health all year round, but especially in winter.
As we abandon the warm-season walks and beach trips, staying inside becomes easy, and this affects our mental health.
Spending time outside, getting proper sleep and practising mindfulness are just some of the ways we can support our mental health as the winter blues approach.
As cold weather sets in, feelings of isolation, stress and loneliness may intrude on thoughts, so tips for getting through the cold months ahead may help maintain your mental health and minimise negative feelings.
Almost one in two Australians will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime,1,2 according to SANE Australia, which highlights the importance of ways to manage your mental health that suit your lifestyle.
Outdoor activity
Heading outdoors, being in sunlight and getting adequate exercise can positively affect our mental health.
“Exposure to sunlight plays an important role in influencing our moods,” a spokesperson from SANE Australia’s Help Centre said. “Sunlight helps increase our body’s levels of vitamin D and also promotes the production of serotonin, which regulates mood.”
Exercise can also help us manage our mental health, by releasing mood-boosting hormones.
“Try to do about 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week,” SANE Australia said. “Exercising doesn’t only mean doing sport or going to the gym. There are many activities that can keep you active, such as tai chi, rock climbing, swimming, dancing, gardening, and cycling.”1
Taking sleep seriously
While our attention may be focused on the cold days, getting a good night’s sleep is also beneficial for mental health.
“Sleep and mental health are two sides of the same coin, and we know there’s a bidirectional relationship or a two-way-street relationship,” said Professor Dorothy Bruck, sleep psychologist for the Sleep Health Foundation. “Poor sleep can cause poor mental health.”
Professor Bruck says research has found that poor sleep increases the risk of developing mental health conditions.
“Studies have shown that, especially in adolescence, but at all ages, a period of extended ongoing poor sleep can be associated with the subsequent development of depression,” she said.
“We did a study involving about 900 young women and looked at them over a nine-year period from in their early 20s to late 20s and found that those who had sleep problems, but not depression, in their early 20s were five times more likely to have depressive symptoms nine years down the track compared with those who didn’t have sleep problems in their early 20s.”
Professor Bruck adds that “the link also goes the other way, and that those with poor mental health often find it hard to sleep properly”.
“People who have poor mental health often sleep very badly, and we know that depression is associated in particular with early morning awakening,” she said.
“That’s often a sign of depression in terms of sleep. Having high anxiety or having had trauma, and then being hypervigilant … can certainly interfere with getting quality sleep.”
According to Professor Bruck, “it’s very important that people take poor sleep seriously and try to find some solutions”.
Meditation and mindfulness
According to Meditation Australia Vice-President Lisa Forde, “one of the most impactful ways to look after our mental health is through meditation and mindfulness techniques”.
Ms Forde, who is also Principal of the Australian Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness, says such techniques are for everyone and can be adapted to suit various personalities.
“There are many entry points into meditation to suit different personalities,” she said.
“Techniques range from concentrating on our breath, an image or mantras – such as peace, calm, etc – to noticing sensations in the body… or moving the body in a slow, mindful way such as walking or dancing.”
Ms Forde says the mental health benefits of meditation and mindfulness are well researched and include:
- Enhanced attention and concentration.
- Improved memory, mindful awareness, and reaction time.
- Prevention of age-related cognitive dysfunction.
- Increased adaptive and pro-social behaviour.
- Positive effects on depression and reduced stress.
- Increased sense of self-efficacy (‘I can handle what comes my way’).
- A generally increased sense of wellbeing.
- Lowered emotional response to anger-inducing situations.
- Improved sleep.
“Meditating on a regular basis opens new neural pathways in the brain and increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex – the part of our brain that governs executive function and higher thinking,” Ms Forde said.
“You can start meditating, and feeling the benefits, with just 10 minutes a day of practice, and many free resources are available online. Guided meditation is a good way to start. You can also do some research to find in-person groups in your area. Meditating in a group and with the support of a teacher is a great way to accelerate your skills.”
Whether it’s exercising, getting more sleep, or adding meditation to daily routines, finding ways of maintaining a positive state of mind can help us avoid the winter blues.
Remember, if you’re struggling to reach out to your friends, family or work colleagues, crisis lines at Beyond Blue, Lifeline and 13YARN are open 24/7 and are there for you when you need help.
If you need help reach out to:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
- 13YARN: 13 92 76
References:
- SANE Australia. ‘How to look after your mental health this winter’. July 2017. org/information-stories/the-sane-blog/wellbeing/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-this-winter [Accessed 8/4/22].
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Mental Health. 2020. aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/mental-health [Accessed 8/4/22].
This feature was originally published in the May issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine.
