Tips for overcoming the winter blues

Different seasons have their own beauty. However, if you used to live in a warm country with massive sunlight over the year, your first winter in the UK may not feel familiarized. Aside from chill and rain, a relatively low exposure to Vitamin D may influence your mood. That said, there are ways that might help combat winter blues. 

Wrap up warm  

Undoubtedly, the general temperature in winter time is lower than other seasons. Don’t forget to look after yourself by dressing up appropriately. Simple accessories including hat, scarf, gloves and knit mask could make a difference when being outside. Keeping yourself warm and cozy will help boost your mood, as the psychically is closely interrelated with the mental and the emotional. When you feel warm enough and not needing to struggle in the cold, your general mood will also be more relaxing.  

Create your own winter adventure  

There is a time and a place for everything. You are in London here and now. Why not create your unique Winter Adventure that excites you? A lot is happening in the city especially when it is closer to Christmas, such as winter markets, special events in museums and galleries, theme park events and ice-skating activities. That said, you don’t need to try all of them. Everyone is different and unique and therefore, you can create your own winter adventure itinerary that suits you the most and will make you happy.  

Share with others  

When experience is shared, happiness is doubled while sadness become less-burdening. If you welcome your friends to join your little winter moments, I encourage you to do so, and this can be something simple yet joyful. For instance, after lecture, you can go for a stroll with your friends alongside the Thames, meanwhile enjoying a cup of ruby chocolate.  

If you feel that it is challenging for you to combat winter blues, please talk to your roommate, neighbors, peer-supporters and the pastoral team. We all understand that it can be uneasy to live in a new country and having to get used to a strange climate. You are definitely not alone in this and there is always support available to you in you hall. Please call reception if you need to speak with someone immediately or email the pastoral team. 

Explore the beauty of winter through your winter eye 

Like approaching any new experience, such as learning a new language or playing a new musical instrument, it may not be easy right from the start, as your brain needs time and practice to get used to a new experience. This also applies to the way you can help yourself to overcome winter blues. It may not be straightforward to appreciate winter in the beginning. However, if you do not give yourself a chance and intend to change your mindset, you may not be able to discover its beauty. As Dyer (2020) has put it, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” 

On that note, I encourage you to explore the beauty of winter through your winter eye, which is the title of a poem by Florian (1999):

Look at winter  

With winter eyes  

As smoke curls from rooftops  

To clear cobalt skies.  

Breathe in winter  

Past winter nose:  

The sweet scent of black birch  

Where velvet moss grows. 

(Excerpt of Winter Eye, Douglas Florian, 1999)

Appreciating winter in the world of literature could also be delightful. Make sure that you are making the best use of resources at LSE Library, British Library and other big and small bookstores in London. 

These are some suggestions for you to combat winter blues. Hope you can find your way to appreciate the season and have a warm and cozy winter. Remember, if you feel uneasy for any reason, it is not your fault and there is always support available to you.