Why is winter so long and so hard? Why do we count the days until summer? Well it’s because winter is not good. Once Christmas is out of the way, we hit January, our purses and wallets are empty, it seems like it is dark all of the time and summer seems like a million miles away.
January 2024 was 31 days long as always but for some reason it felt like it was about 4 months long. February has flown by, even with it being a leap year and it’s starting to be lighter until later in the day. Maybe spring is on it’s way.
Mental health can really be affected by the light and the temperature. I have loads of clients who tell me they feel better in summer, and I do too. We need light, we need the vitamin D from the sun and it’s so much nicer to feel warmth on our skin rather than have the wind biting at your face. But depression doesn’t go away when it is summer.
The difference is that when it is cold and dark, everything feels worse. Most people who suffer with severe anxiety find that it is worse at night so naturally when the day light is in short supply, the night feels longer and the anxiety can get worse. I often wonder how people cope in the countries that have less daylight than we do here in the UK.
From December to January, Iceland has only 4-5 hours of daylight. How do they not all feel depressed? I would be struggling with only that much daylight. I wonder if it is because they have some absolutely beautiful natural areas of beauty to look at!
With spring very nearly here, what can you do to help yourself feel better? Here is my top 5 list:
1: wrap up warm and go for a walk. Moving your body and getting fresh air is a really good way to improve how you are feeling mentally. Plus you will feel even better if the sun comes out too.
2: learn something new. Whether it be a language, a craft or something else, learning to do something new can help your brain to focus away from the dark winter months.
3: watch something funny. Laughing is a medicine for all kinds of ailments but particularly when you feel down. There are endless options on the many streaming sites.
4: talk to a friend. Talking to someone does help. Find out how they are, share your feelings about the winter and help each other out.
5: cuddle a dog. I add this into as many lists as possible as cuddling animals can really help to lower blood pressure and to help you feel happier. Who can’t resist a dog!
The main thing to remember is that spring and summer is coming and once it is here get outside and soak up as much sunshine as possible.
Victoria Warwick-Jones Counselling 