The Wellbeing Blog – Dry January

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Is Dry January Good For Our Mental Health?

Many people choose to take a break from booze in January because they’ve had a little too much over Christmas and want to give their body a break. But something that many don’t consider is the benefit it can have on our mental health. Alcohol might feel like it alleviates our feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression but it’s actually making things harder. Drinking can affect our sleep patterns, decreases the levels of Serotonin in our body (one of our feel-good hormones) lead to poor decision making and can cause us to become dependent on it as a coping method. Taking a break from the booze doesn’t mean you have a problem, and it’s not some kind of admission of guilt. It’s simply us saying that we want to give a boost to our body and mind, even if it is temporary and there’s nothing wrong with that.
If you’re going to a part or some kind of event where booze will be flowing then try to make a plan to keep temptation away. Planning your drinks before hand or asking a friend to keep you accountable can be really helpful.

Beating the winter blues

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is thought to affect around 2 million people in the UK. It’s caused by the shorter days, wetter weather combined with the stress of Christmas.

Some of us might feel low or hard to sleep. It might feel harder to concentrate or you just feel exhausted.

Top tips for beating those winter blues

1. KEEP ACTIVE

Getting outside for a simple stroll or maybe a jog if you feel up to it gives a huge boost to your mental health. It not only gives us a dose of dopamine, endorphins and Oxytocin (All hormones that we want) but it gives us a change of scenery and if timed right gives us some much needed exposure to light.

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2. Watch your food intake

Most of us go way overboard over the Christmas period, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself if it’s a treat and a special occasion, eat the cake and enjoy it! But the problem is that eating like that can quickly become habit. This has a big impact on our mood (as well as our body). Doing this can be as simple as making sure you eat some fruit each day and limiting takeaways. Also keep drinking.

3. See the light

Try to get out into the natural light as much as possible but with work, kids, chores, and sleep this isn’t easy in the few hours we have available at the moment. Try sitting next to a window when you can or maybe invest in a light box which mimics sunlight and research suggests has a positive impact on our mood.

4. Talk it out

Don’t underestimate the power of a good chat. Whether it’s a colleague, friend, family member or a professional like your GP or a therapist, you would be amazed by how much this can improve your wellbeing. And remember there is no shame in speaking to someone, including the professionals, what you’re experiencing is way more common than you think.

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Weekly Wellbeing Tip

Christmas often knocks our regular routine out of whack. As soon as you can, try to get back into your old routine again. If it helps write it down. It can be as strict or relaxed as you like.

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