Prepare your mind and body for darker days
Does the prospect of commuting in the dark surround you in gloom? Does the notion of woeful weather dip you in doom?
Fear not! You can prepare for the worst of winter right here with s1jobs.
Let’s start with exercise – after all, staying as fit and as mobile as possible is hugely important.
If you’re lucky enough to work in a cosy office, it’s possible to create a routine you can stick to no matter what it’s doing outside.
Hailstones the size of golf balls? This won’t stop you indulging in a spot of yoga or Pilates, both of which are renowned for their power to relax the body, tone muscle and revitalise all round.
If there isn’t a suitable room or a break-out area in your workplace, get into a 15-minute routine before you leave for work – it’s a perfectly gentle way to start the day.
Of course, a good diet and proper nutrition are also important at this time of year.
Colder weather brings a natural craving for warm soups, hearty stews and slow-cooked casseroles.
While such tasty treats all help top up energy levels, did you know that adding a little spice to your life can also warm the cockles of your heart?
If you work in construction or engineering and spend a lot of time outdoors, adding chilli, cayenne or cinnamon to your meals helps increase circulation and warms you up from the inside out. Some spices, such as ginger, can even help combat winter viruses.
Winter increases the risk of dehydration, with the contrast in the heat indoors and cold outdoors drying out organs and skin and limiting our bodies’ normal metabolic function. It’s important then, even if we feel less thirsty, to drink the right amount of fluids to stay healthy.
Take care, too, not to isolate yourself. When it’s cold, wet and dark when you arrive at work and it seems not much has changed when you’re ready to leave again, it can be tempting to wrap up and head straight home.
But it’s important for our health and wellbeing that we take time to chat to colleagues and feel connected socially. So why not enjoy a regular meal or coffee with workmates?
This is also the time of year that can see the potential onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). While, the exact cause of this type of depression is not fully known it’s thought to be linked to reduced exposure to sunlight.
If you think you might be affected, as well as chatting with your GP, there are hi-tech ways to help alleviate symptoms.
Special light boxes, for example, can simulate the effects of sunlight and the smallest are easily carried . . . so they can be used in the workplace as well as at home.
Just because many plants are slowing down and hibernating, we can still enjoy green energy in the workplace. Going potty with indoor plants that add scents and colours is a great way to help satisfy our senses and lighten our moods.
Finally, if you’d really like to make your winter wonderful, have you thought about an exciting new career? There are many hot roles to choose from right now on s1jobs.