The Winter Blues

Isn’t this time of year marvelous? Cosying up in chunky knits; staying warm with steaming mugs of cocoa, gamboling carefree through crunchy autumn leaves. It’s nothing but bliss… or so the admen would have us believe.

They don’t mention that no amount of hot chocolate will banish the depressing fact that getting up in the dark, snuffling at your desk and then trudging home in the dark can lead to a very real condition - The Winter Blues.
First described in the 6th Century by a Scandanavian Scholar , the Winter Blues - affecting around four times as many women as men, and found mainly in those in their twenties and thirties -  are a form of depression, suffered primarily by Northern Europeans exposed to too few sunlight hours. This causes unstable melatonin and serotonin levels, neurotransmitters responsible for mood, hunger and sleep.

Symtoms include:

•  Increased feelings of lethargy; feeling tired all the time. For some scientists it’s a human trait similar to animals’ winter hibernation.

• Difficulty in waking up in the mornings as the days get shorter.
 • Finding it hard to concentrate and think creatively in comparison to the summer months.
 • Increased cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods like chocolate and fizzy drinks.

But if you’ve got a dose of the Winter Blues , rather than mope around there are ways to tackle your misery:
Do some exercise :
Yes, that old chestnut. There’s no getting away from it, though, aerobic exercise is proven to combat the Winter Blues. But if you can’t face the gym, try ice-skating in the very cultured surroundings of Somerset House instead.
Improve your diet with carbs – the good ones
These are often effective in increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Eat larger portions of complex carbohydrates, such as wholewheat pasta and rice, and healthy simple carbs such as fruit and fruit juices.
Get away for the weekend for a big dose of natural sunlight
If you suffer from the Winter Blues you are obviously not getting that much sunlight. So, what a perfect opportunity to take a break to southern Europe which has sun in spades. The Canary Islands are a well known spot for winter breaks, and whilst you’re banishing the blues enjoy their often overlooked arts and culture, from the contemporary art in Gran Canaria, the artist Cesar Manrique’s influence on Lanzarote and Tenerife’s annual classical music festival in January and February.