Take care of yourself this winter
It's not unusual to feel a bit blue in the winter months. To help keep your mood lifted open your blinds or curtains as soon as you get up to let more sunlight into your home, and get outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible.
The 5 ways to wellbeing
Simple actions can help to boost your mental wellbeing and happiness - think of it as a balanced diet for your mind.
- Connect: Talk to your neighbours or invite them round for tea. Visit your local community centre to get involved with activities and groups.
- Give: Look for local volunteering opportunities. Small acts of kindness can boost your wellbeing and happiness.
- Be active and move more: Take a walk around the garden, get off the bus a stop earlier, or join a local walking group. More tips can be found in the ‘moving more’ section of this leaflet.
- Keep learning: Engage in activities like jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, or trying new recipes to give yourself a boost.
- Take notice: Actively notice things around you. Reflect on your day, write down things that made you happy or grateful, or take up a mindful hobby like knitting, crochet or colouring
Healthy and nutritious food
Fruit and vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Try and have at least 5 different portions every day.
Did you know that the following all count towards your 5 A Day:
- frozen fruit and vegetables
- tinned or canned fruit and vegetables in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt
- fruit and vegetables cooked in soups, stews or pasta dishes
Try to
- Add fruit to porridge to create a healthy warming dish. This is a great way to use up fruit that has gone soft.
- Have at least 1 hot meal a day. Eating regularly helps keep you warm
- Have hot drinks regularly, have one before bed and keep one in a flask by your bedside
- keep your cupboards stocked with some basics just in case you can't get out to the shops
If you need help with accessing food this winter there are many voluntary organisations that can help.
Normally, our bodies create vitamin D from sunlight and we need it for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. However, during the winter months the sun isn’t strong enough for our bodies to make vitamin D, and it’s difficult to get the amount we need from our diet. You might want to speak to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement for a little boost over winter.
Try to keep active
If you find you feel the cold more than you used to, that's totally normal. From about the age of 55, we lose around 1% of our muscle mass every year. It doesn't sound a lot, but muscle is what keeps us warm. Keeping active generates heat to help keep your body, hands and feet warm.
TOP TIPS
- swap short car trips for walking
- try not to sit still for more than one hour at a time. If walking is difficult, try chair-based exercises. Even moving your arms and legs and wiggling your toes will get your circulation going
- if you’re driving, park a little further away to increase your steps
- remove trip hazards such as trailing wires, rugs, clutter
- consider handrails on the stairs, at external doorways and the bathroom
Falls Prevention
The Falls Prevention page on the Staffordshire County Council website is a great resource. It offers practical advice on how to prevent falls, which can be more common during the colder months. You’ll find tips on making your home safer, exercises to help with balance and strength, and what to do if you or someone you know has a fall.