Keep your winter batteries topped up

Jan 1 2010 by Joanne Welford, Evening Gazette

Don't let the dark nights and short, cold days get you down. Joanne Welford searches out ten ways to keep your winter batteries topped up with the help of Teesside psychological therapist and happiness coach Lesley Broadhead.

1. Shorter days mean less sunshine - and less vitamin D which keeps bones and teeth healthy. So good alternative sources are oily fish and eggs - or try Boots High Strength Vitamin D capsules, s2.99.

2. Have an attitude of gratitude, says Lesley and write down all the things youve got to be thankful for. Create a gratitude box in which to store your happy thoughts for when youre feeling glum.

We dont realise how lucky we are sometimes, says Lesley. Write the list down and take it out when you are feeling a little bit low, reading it will remind you of the good experiences in life.

3. Eat healthily. As the weather turns colder, our desire to eat starchy comfort foods increases for good reason - the body is using up its fat reserves to keep warm and is signalling we need to lay down more fast. Go for slow release energy foods, including porridge. Porridge and other oat-based cereals rich in carbohydrates that release energy slowly will help keep energy levels up, says Boots nutritionist Vicky Pennington.

4. Most people want something like a new car or a holiday to cheer them up at this time of year, says Lesley. But its not the thing but the feeling associated with it that brings you happiness. Conjure up those feelings and try to use them positively, she says.

When you concentrate on positive thoughts and feelings and keep that focus. the neural pathways are actually widened and the brain fires off endorphins and serotonin. The more you think positively, the easier it becomes to have those thoughts, says Lesley.

5. Wrap yourself up in something warm - and bright!

6. Be positive about yourself - if you cant love yourself, you cant love anyone else, says Lesley.

7. Avoid energy slumps and recharge your batteries by exercising. Activity in the early evening will stimulate your body to produce endorphins, which will help you sleep well.

8. Appreciate whats around you, says Lesley - like the autumn landscape and the colours in the leaves. Going for a walk outside and then coming home to snuggle up on the sofa with a warm cuppa is a simple pleasure thats hard to beat.

9. Remember grannys electric blanket that took two hours to heat up and 10 minutes to cool down? Check out the modern version. Imetecs Relaxwell by Dreamland Heated Throw warms up in 10 minutes and is made of the softest micro fleece for extra comfort - whats more, it is machine washable with a low-energy consumption that uses less electricity than a light bulb..

10. The power of imagination is a wonderful thing. Conjure up wonderful holiday memories or imagine somewhere youd like to go or something youd like to do, says Lesley. The mind is amazing, she says. It will think its been on holiday.

For more information on Lesley from Inner Potential in Stockton, log on to www.innerpotential.co.uk