The Winter Blues is something that affects many people each year. Of course, this year could be even more challenging with the cost-of-living crisis, which is why it is important to know how to keep your family’s spirits high this winter, especially after the excitement of Christmas fades away. So, what can you do to keep everyone happy during the winter months?
Enjoy Yourself
You should always be planning something fun to do as a family, especially after Christmas when it can be easy just to stay in all the time. Fun day trips out to places like London can help to keep spirits high and it is easy enough to book your train tickets online for a day out in the city of Manchester for the Christmas markets or shopping. You can also keep costs down by doing things like walks and visiting museums.
Avoid Oversleeping
It is certainly important that everyone gets enough sleep, but you want to avoid everyone staying in bed half the day during the holidays as this can bring people’s moods down. Therefore, it is a good idea to have morning activities to get people up and active, such as going out for a nice winter morning walk as a family.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
The impact that diet has on mood should not be overlooked, especially as it is easy to overindulge over Christmas. Find some healthy new recipes to try to ensure that people are enjoying a healthy and balanced diet during winter – think soups and hearty stews for this time of the year. Additionally, adults should drink in moderation – dry January could be a good option if you feel that you overdid it at Christmas. Keeping caffeine levels down can also help with mood and improve sleep.
Family Games
You want to make sure that you get out of the house regularly, but this is not always realistic or appealing in winter. Therefore, you should have family games that you can play at home to prevent solely sitting in front of the television. There are endless options here, including Monopoly, charades, Pictionary and UNO are just a few examples worth trying.
Exercise
Of course, exercise is hugely important for mood and well-being. It is not always as easy in winter, so it is helpful if you have exercise that you can do at home. Bodyweight exercises, yoga, resistance band workouts and a home static bike are a few ways to stay in shape at home for the times that you cannot go out and exercise.
Stay Social
It is hugely important to stay social, especially if you work remotely. This is why you need to have social plans even after Christmas even if this is just going around a friend’s house for coffee while the kids play.
These are some of the best ways to keep everyone’s spirits up over winter and will hopefully help you all to avoid the Winter Blues.
