Christmas is around the corner, the days are getting darker, the nights wetter. We start and leave work in the pitch black and before we know it, it’s morning again.
Autumn and winter are the months that seemingly neverend. Even when we’ve enjoyed the New Years celebrations, we still have a few months of drizzly darkness before spring finally appears.
It’s easy to get dragged down in the darker months, keeping yourself hidden away, isolating yourself from friends and family and ultimately, worsening your mental health. We know what it’s like when seasonal burnout rears its head, that’s why we’ve pulled together the ultimate guide for keeping yourself happy and healthy when all you want to do is hide under the duvet.
Exercise the Mind and Body
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, keeping your body active is paramount for a healthy state of mind. That goes for brain exercise too, keeping your mind active and focused to maintain a level head - even during those more difficult months.
Here are our favourite ways to incorporate regular physical and mental exercise into your daily routine:
- Aiming for 10,000 steps per day. This is especially beneficial if you’re outside during the day, getting natural sunlight and fresh air. Try listening to a podcast, audio book or music during your lunch break whilst getting in some extra movement.
- Waking up 15-30 minutes earlier to get your heart rate going and wake up properly. This might be a light jog around your neighbourhood, taking your dog for a stroll, a 30 minute yoga class or 15 minutes on an exercise bike or treadmill.
- Swapping phone time for enrichment activity. The mindless doom scroll, no matter the time of year, can have serious consequences on your mental health. Especially after working all day, more often than not behind a screen, take your evenings back with reading, writing, socialising, cooking or doing another activity that brings you joy and avoids a digital overload.
- Stimulate your brain. A daily puzzle (think Wordle), reading insightful articles, learning a new skill like a new language, can all significantly improve your mental health.
Be Kind and Treat Yourself
During those darker days, it’s normal to feel glum. As well as keeping your mind and body active, it’s also important to take time for yourself to wind down and relax.
Relaxing and ‘treating’ yourself can take many forms, from watching your favourite movie to cooking and eating your favourite meal. For us, our favourite way to relax the muscles and the mind is a hot, soothing bath filled with special bathing products to elevate the experience.
Our ultimate at-home soak goes a bit like this: running a hot bath and gently adding in tranquil bath salts, pouring yourself a nice drink - whether a wine, a beer or a cup of tea - dimming the lights and lighting scented candles to create a peaceful atmosphere, turning on calming lofi music, using an anti-inflammatory face mask and hopping in the tub with a citrus-infused bath bomb.
Bliss.
Stay Social
It’s that time of year where your bed, being cosy, shutting the curtains and avoiding all social interaction seems like the best thing ever. For many people, especially those who don’t work from home, becoming a recluse once 5pm hits seems very appealing.
Avoiding being social isn’t necessarily benefiting your mental health, however. Studies have even shown that social isolation is associated with health problems such as heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline.
That’s not to say you need to be at the pub every evening, but regularly seeing friends or family can seriously boost your mental health. Why not go for a walk, meet for a cuppa’ or have dinner with a friend once or twice a week?
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Autumn and winter can be a difficult time for many, and it’s easy to get lost in the shorter days and darker evenings. Keeping yourself happy and healthy through regular exercise and a self-care routine is really important so you can enjoy the seasonal festivities with a strong state of mind!
Tag us in your ‘treat yourself’ moments on social @SentoBathing 📷 🛁 🫧
Please note: SAD is a serious type of depression that may require medical treatment. If you’re struggling with declining mental health symptoms, speak to your GP directly. Learn more about Seasonal Affective Disorder here.
