Lifestyle, Winter Comes Alive Blogged by: Highpoint 12 Jul 2019

Brighten your life this winter

Be gone Jack Frost! We love winter. Sure it’s colder, darker and flu season… but this winter we are out in force to keep shining! We say embrace the season! Winter is beautiful. It’s the time for whale watching, winter sports, wine and cheese by the fireplace, cozy electric blankets and spectacular fashion.
 
Despite its beauty, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the winter season can be real. We’ve all felt it to some extent. The cold weather closes in and we want to curl up inside with Netflix and a hot choccy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But excessive time indoors can lead to low motivation and energy and tiredness.
 
Highpoint has rounded up the best tips for how to beat those winter blues and power on through the colder months.
  
1. Eat happy
We love carbs! But excessively eating comfort food can exacerbate the winter blues. Increasing the amount of Vitamin D in your meals can help. Pile your plate with colourful and wholesome foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, oily fish, wholegrains, leafy greens and mushrooms.
 
2. Get outdoors
The main source of Vitamin D comes from sunshine. On top of getting it through diet, try to get outside even for 30 minutes a day when you see the sun shining. If you are working, have a meeting over a walk in the sun or a coffee in the park. Get out for a stroll when the sunshine is at its peak (around midday). If you are at home, get your furry friends out for a walk or just stretch your legs for 30 minutes. Endorphins plus Vitamin D will help you shine. 
Shop for the outdoors at Highpoint: Bicycle SuperstoreRebel Sport, Surf Dive N Ski
 
 
3. Stay connected
Not just to Netflix and Foxtel, but to friends and family! Winter is an easy time to want to wall yourself inside, but staying social is the best way to stay connected and happy. Surround yourself with happy and positive people who bring out the best in you.
 
 4. Take up a new hobby
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean life has to be put on hold! When it’s too cold to venture out, take up a new indoor hobby. It could be planning a trip, cooking, craft, completing an online course, learning a new language. Tick off something you’ve always wanted to do.
Grab a book about hobbies from Robinsons Bookshop or QBD The Bookshop at Highpoint
 
5. Get your groove on
Music! The cognitive and therapeutic effects of music are well known. Play your favourite tunes while you travel to work, while you exercise, while you cook or while you play with the kids. There’s no better mood booster than a good tune (and nothing more fun than having a daggy dance off with your kids or friends in the living room).
Shop music at Highpoint: JB Hi-Fi
 

6. Make someone else happy
There is nothing more satisfying than making a difference to someone else's life. Than seeing them smile. It could be your child, your partner, a friend or a complete stranger. Find a cause you care about and dedicate some time to making a difference. Volunteer at a local shelter, deliver blankets to the homeless, visit an elderly neighbour for a cuppa or just give a friend a call to check in.
 
Stay warm and be happy!

To get inspired with more things to do in winter, visit Highpoint's Blog