A Winter Recharge x Farida
I'm so thrilled to have my friend, fellow actress & blogger Farida, write a guest post for "My Life in England". I met Farida during the Mel Churcher Screen Acting class at Actors Studio in London. Frida's just one of those people who can change your perspective on life in just one conversation. With winter just around the corner, it was more than appropriate she decided to write about how to make dark days feel like bright, summer ones! Enjoy! (image: freedigitalphotos.net)
WINTER IS COMING.
The winter season is finally here. The days are getting shorter and the leaves on the trees are turning a beautiful shade of brown, to later fall and litter the pavement. For the next six months we'll be getting up and going home in the darkness with nothing but stars shining in the sky.
"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."
- Albert Camus -
The flip-flops and sun cream have been stowed away, replaced by musty winter coats and welly boots. The temperatures are dropping and clothes are getting thicker. We're kind of looking forward to hibernating. Looking forward to evenings and weekends in front of the TV, duvets on the sofa, fat mugs of hot chocolate and bottles of mulled wine with X-Factor marking down the weeks until Christmas.
However, many of us associate winter with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, unfortunately for these people winter makes them sick. The cold, the dark, the rain, the snow, but only for few months! A lack of Vitamin D can have a big impact on your mood, but you must keep your energy positive, keep happy and do not let the gloomy days take over.
"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."
- Anton Chekhov -
It has been proven that people living in sunnier countries are happier, their serotonin levels are higher! But true happiness starts from within and by feeding your body the right food and keeping your mind balanced you can change your course this winter and stay happy and positive every day!
Start by introducing supplements into your diet such as Vitamin D, or 5 HTP. Eat food rich in Vitamin B and plenty of fish to provide Omega-3 fatty acids that will help trigger the production of serotonin. My favourite is eating really dark chocolate. It improves serotonin and endorphin levels partly because of resveratrol.
"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."
- Paul Theroux -
Winter mornings are tough. Getting up early and seeing the freeze or the rain doesn't encourage you to step outside and breathe fresh air. It's alright to stay in once in a while, but not too much! Go for walks, organise a weekend in the country - in winter it's simply beautiful. Have long lazy lunches, pick chestnuts and mushrooms in the woods, visit museums that, in the summer, always came second to BBQs and a few more drinks with friends. Read books or organise movie marathon Sundays with giant bowls of popcorn.
Winter is more than just cold and grey days, it's a chance to do things and reconnect with ourselves and our lives.
Get intimate with your heart and listen to what it has to say. In the summer we just want to run on the beach, get a tan, drink piña-coladas and have fun. We distract ourself, with wonderful escapism and it's perfectly normal and healthy, but we need to find time to reflect on our lives so winter is here to give you a break, some self-reflection to make changes necessary for your next chapter.
Why do so many people get depressed during winter? Simply because life's distractions have been suspended and the festive season is coming. For many it's a time to celebrate, but for others a time of great sadness. If you know someone that doesn't enjoy winter or the festive season, save a little time and energy to take them out, show them they are loved as you might be the only 'family' they have. If you're a loner, keep busy and meditate on your relationships with other people. You may find a different situation suits you better, you are a beautiful person with every possibility at your feet if you choose to see it.
"While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best."
- Tom Allen -
Find a new hobby, there is something out there you would love to do, so here's your chance, think hard and find it! Don't forget it's only winter, a change of season. The sun will return and if you really can't wait then migrate like the birds, find the sun for few days to recharge your Vitamin D.
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE, LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND HAVE A HAPPY WINTER.
LIFEASWEGOALONG
BLOG