The mid-year slump: How to get through winter

It’s 6:30am on a workday and the alarm goes off. It’s minus 3 degrees outside and all you want to do is stay snuggled up in the warm. Your mind races: do I reset the alarm and give myself another 30 minutes? Or do I call in sick? Or do I tough it out, get out of bed and get moving?

Winter can be many things to many people. For some, it means undertaking winter specific sports, the beauty of winter scenery or the chance to slow down and catch their breath before the summer rush of outdoor activities. For others, winter produces a hibernation period where they have an excuse to not do something because it’s too cold, it’s raining, there’s not enough daylight hours (for those in the southern states) or, the lack of daylight makes them tired and all they want to do is sleep.

It is this last group of people who may experience the ‘winter blues’ where they knowingly or unknowingly get into a ‘slump’. They can find it difficult to get out of it due to their mindset and the reinforcing nature of the bad weather.

Let’s use mowing the lawn as a working example…

It rains, making the grass grow and now the lawn needs a mow. We know we can’t mow it during the week as we go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, so it has to be on the weekend. We look at the weather forecast – 90% chance of rain, so we decide – not this weekend. Okay, so what are we going to do on the weekend? Since it is forecast to rain all weekend and possibly be cold and miserable, we’ll just stay home and binge watch our favourite TV show. We don’t worry about household chores, because we just can’t be bothered and we need to rest anyway. So, we get into a pattern of putting off things to do, because it’s easier to snuggle in to keep warm and rest.

By all means, rest is essential. It helps to look after ourselves physically, socially and emotionally. However, if we get into a slump, we may inadvertently drop our physical and social activities, resulting in our emotional or mental health taking a hit for the worse. As the slump continues, our mental health can continue to slide downhill until unintended feelings of sadness, depression, unworthiness and uselessness worsen, and impact on our lives and those around us. We never mean for this to happen, but it is a result of the brain not producing the happy hormones that generally keeps us going in a better frame of mind.

So, what do we do about the winter slump?

Firstly, acknowledge that it can happen and we can do something about it. Look at your general physical activities you are not currently doing and re-schedule them or make alternate plans. If it’s raining, can you wear a raincoat? Can you do alternate home exercises? Are you able to go to a local gym? It may take some imagination to find an alternative plan that works for you and once you find it, lock in a realistic schedule in your diary and stick to it. Praise yourself each time you have completed a session. The mental health reward is increased endorphin and dopamine levels, resulting in a more positive disposition.

Next, stick to and/or create social connections. Catch up and have coffee with a friend on a regular basis, go to the movies or football match, maintain contact with family, or take up a group hobby that gets you out and about, join a club that reflects your interests or social perspective, such as a charity. Again, schedule these into your diary and tick them off once completed. There is much satisfaction in ticking off a completed task.

In regards to your mental health, if you continue to struggle, reach out for help and talk to someone about how you are feeling. Sometimes we all need to download to someone independent to clear our head. If you are sitting at home, do something constructive, especially with your hands. Using your hands to do a jigsaw, build Lego castles, knit a scarf, make fishing lures, design your ideal holiday cabin, colouring in (yes – there are adult colouring in books out there), or cooking is a good way for the brain to rest and relax.

Watching a lot of TV or using your phone for hours on end, creates a frantic brain clog, so limit screen time and intersperse screentime with a physical activity. If it’s cold but the sun is shining, rug up and sit outside for a while, read a book, play with the kids or dog or, just have a nap. Soak up that Vitamin D!

You have the power to delay a slump and take winter on as your next challenge to overcome. You can do this!

The information provided in this document is general in nature and is intended to be used for information purposes only. While we have tried to ensure the accuracy of the information published, no guarantee can be given that the information is free from error or omission or that it is accurate, current or complete.

The information published is not, and should not be relied on as, health or treatment advice. The diagnosis and treatment of any mental illness requires the attention of a physician or other properly qualified mental health professional. If you are seeking diagnosis or treatment of any other mental illness, you should consult a physician or mental health professional. You should not delay in seeking, or disregard, professional health advice because of something you have read in this document.