Don't let the change in weather get you down
With the onset of winter creating darker, colder days, it’s easy for S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder) to set in, sapping our energy and leaving us feeling blue. It’s even more important then, at this time of year, for us to try to eliminate those negative feelings and focus on the positives.
Sally Norton, weight loss consultant at Spire The Glen Hospital Bristol, and founder of Vavista.com, shares a few ideas that could help to inspire and motivate you to create a positive shift in your happiness levels.
Positive Recollection
Each day, take a moment to recall and write down three positive things that happened that day. These could be big or small things as long as you felt some positive emotion at the time. Perhaps someone held the door open for you, or you received a surprise phone call from a friend.
Practicing recalling specific positive memories has been found to provide lasting, long term improvements in people’s happiness. Just think what fun it will be to look back through your journal of positive memories at a later date when you need to lift your spirits.
Help others
One often overlooked way to feel good – and one that we wholeheartedly recommend - is to do something to help others – as this has been shown in research to simultaneously improve happiness in both the person doling out the good deed and the person on the receiving end – known in scientific circles as a ‘pro-social act’. Win-win!
Have a hug
Studies have shown that a hug has the ability to make us happier, less stressed and can even aid weight-loss! How does it do this? A neuropeptide called oxytocin is released into our system when we make human contact – like hugging and cuddling. It’s presence in our system helps to make us feel good and form closer relationships more easily. A boost of oxytocin also makes us feel more generous and compassionate towards others, and have even been found to lower blood pressure, and provide pain relief from headaches. What more reason do we need to have a cuddle?