Winter Wellbeing

Thursday 28-11-2024 - 08:31

The winter months can be difficult for many students. With dropping temperatures and a decrease in sunlight hours, its not uncommon for people to struggle with sleep, appetite, and motivation.

As a student, I often find that my academic success drifts during the winter months, and my motivation finds an all time low. It can be difficult to attend lectures and do the things I normally do when it’s dark by 4pm and the rain returns in full English force. However, I’ve found that prioritising my mental health during the colder half of the year is truly the foundation to maintaining a good routine, keeping on top of things, and most importantly, enjoying your time at university.

Mental health during winter

Physical and mental health are linked, so try to stay active this winter. You can do this by taking regular walks, joining the gym, or exercising in your home! Do your best to take notice of the good things in your life, like the sunshine in the morning, the warmth of a cup of tea, the autumn colours outside your window, festive music that makes you want to dance.

Here are my 4 rules for winter:

Make the most of natural light!
Plan, plan, plan
Talk to people and stay connected.
Enjoy simple pleasures.

Staying healthy during winter

As it gets colder, sickness becomes more common, and lots of students contract colds. You can stay healthy by wrapping up warmly when you leave your home, with a coat, scarf, gloves, and lots of layers. You can even wear a face mask to ward off any airborne bacteria. Make sure you wash your hands as often as possible, and take vitamin D supplements to support your bone and muscle health – vitamin D can also reduce your risk of respiratory infections!

When I’m on campus during winter, you will find me wrapped up in knitted jumpers and scarves. Aesthetically, I’m a sucker for autumn outfits, but they are also practical, and keep me nice and warm against the wind, rain, and snow. In my pocket, I always have a pack of throat lozenges to soothe any cough I might pick up.

Winter meals

It is essential to keep your body nourished and fed during winter. Keep your immune system at its best working function by eating a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables. I love to make homemade soup as soon as it gets cold, and there’s nothing like a hot meal to warm you up. People are more likely to crave chocolate and sugary foods during winter, so its important to keep your diet balanced with enough nourishment to keep you going. I always get a coffee before a lecture on campus during winter, because I’m more likely to focus if I’m warm, and I always start my day with a breakfast like porridge with fruit.

Staying connected

Its so easy to hide away during winter. Naturally, most people want to be at home, cosy in bed or watching a festive movie. Winter is well-known as the season to be with loved ones. But when your mental health is poor, isolation is the worst thing you could do, and I always find myself drifting away from my friends when it gets cold and dark. But its so important to keep connections, as communication and relationships are integral to good mental health.

As a student, there’s lots of things I can do to make friends. Whether its joining a society, a Liberation network, or a sports club, I know there are groups of people I can meet up with and get to know. There’s plenty of events happening on campus over the festive season to encourage students to get involved and prevent isolation. The SU’s Christmas market with real life reindeer, the Harrogate Christmas market trip, festive movie nights, and so much more! My friends and I can’t wait for the Christmas markets, and it would be great to see you there.

By Amelia Holroyd

Christmas Away from Home

While many people have the opportunity to spend Christmas with their families, this, of course, isn’t the case for everyone. Being at university might mean that you’re far away from your home town or country, and you may not be able to travel home for the festive season. Don’t worry, plenty of other students will be doing this, too – you are not alone, and there are so many ways to celebrate Christmas independently.

Making the most of your holiday season

Just because you’re alone this Christmas, doesn’t mean the festive holiday needs to be cancelled. You can still decorate your tree, cover your home with lights and wreaths, and display plenty of baubles and holiday ornaments. Head down to B&M or Home Bargains for student-friendly prices on Christmas decorations, and make your space as cosy as you can! Round up any of your friends remaining in Huddersfield, and decorate together to keep the mood joyful, and maintain your connections.

Creating your own traditions

A huge aspect of Christmas with family is the lifelong traditions you get to follow. An exciting part of spending Christmas alone is creating your own brand new traditions! You now have the freedom and space to do whatever you want, anything that brings you joy – whether it’s watching a ridiculous amount of Christmas films, or ignoring the holiday altogether and focusing on other things you like. You could go on a Christmas morning walk along the university canal, or do some arts and crafts in your home!

Local activities

Grab a friend, or go alone, to any local festive activity that takes your fancy! Here’s a list of Christmas activities taking place in Huddersfield throughout December: