Even though we love autumn, with its colorful leaves, pumpkin recipes and cozy movie nights, the days are getting darker, grayer and shorter and that can quickly get to you. We get tired more quickly and lose interest in things that we actually enjoy. To ensure that you don't slip into a winter blues this year, we've put together our most valuable tips for fighting the autumn blues in this blog post!
1. Exercise in the fresh air
We all know that, don't we? We're constantly told: "You need to get enough exercise and do sport at least three times a week!" and "Sport is really important for your health!" Yes, that's true. But especially when it's already getting dark, when you've finished work and it's a particularly cold and wet day, it's pretty difficult to get yourself to do some sport.
So our tip: why think so complicated? After lunch, grab your coat, put on your headphones and then treat yourself to a 15-minute digestive walk before you go back to work. If you make this a daily routine, you will still manage to get enough exercise and fresh air every day. And trust us: the afternoon slump is only half as intense after a short walk!
And if you snuggle up in one of our scarves , it won't be so uncomfortably cold!
2. Structure and routine
Unfortunately, the pre-Christmas period in particular doesn't have much to do with hygge for many of us, but rather with stress, full schedules and a fairly large "mental load". It is therefore particularly valuable in such phases to bring structure into your everyday life and follow certain routines every day in order to keep a cool head.
It's better to concentrate on a few habits than to let the self-optimization bubble put you under too much pressure. What really does you good in the long term? Is it reading a book in the evening instead of bingeing a Netflix series? Or do you want to separate your workday from your free time by meditating for a few minutes straight after work? Listen to your own needs and structure your everyday life sensibly.
3. Nutrition
During the cold seasons, we often crave one thing above all else: comfort food! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it is not a bad idea to try to eat enough vegetables at the same time to get the necessary nutrients and vitamins. Typical traditional dishes such as roasts and stews are very hearty and make you quite tired. So how about a delicious pumpkin soup or a vegetable curry as comfort food?
4. Social contacts
There are also great things to do with friends or family in autumn and winter: go out to eat together, watch a new movie, visit a museum together or, if you want a bit more action, how about an escape room or karaoke evening? If you find it difficult to find time for your social contacts between all your appointments, here is our valuable tip: plan certain activities in your calendar at the beginning of the month, for example according to the following scheme:
- a lunch with a friend
- a brunch with your friends
- an outdoor date (e.g. walking or a stroll through the city)
- a movie night
- a date night (you can also have a date with yourself)
- a "night out"
- a long walk with the family
Then these appointments are already in your calendar and you automatically spend enough time with your favorite people. This will definitely keep your serotonin levels at a stable level all winter ;).
5. Light therapy
If you feel like you've tried everything and you're still in a bad mood or lack the energy you need, then it's best to go to your doctor and talk openly about it! Because if you're not feeling well, you'll always have to check whether you're healthy and whether all your blood values are correct.
A helpful method to support the above tips with a more direct approach is with light therapy. With the help of so-called "daylight lamps" you can at least get a small dose of the summer light you miss so much and feel a little fitter.
Even though fall and winter can be a difficult time at times, try to enjoy the beautiful events of these seasons: Halloween, the beautiful autumn nature, hot chocolate, Harry Potter marathons, Christmas... and if you think hard, the list could probably go on and on!
Have we made you want a hot chocolate or a delicious autumn recipe? Then take a look here:
Delicious autumnal pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Author: Annika Seibel
