{"id":9282,"date":"2024-01-19T17:44:55","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T17:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thekateoutdoors.uk\/?p=9282"},"modified":"2024-01-20T14:39:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T14:39:38","slug":"feel-better-this-winter-5-tips-to-help-you-get-outdoors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thekateoutdoors.uk\/feel-better-this-winter-5-tips-to-help-you-get-outdoors\/","title":{"rendered":"Feel better this Winter: 5 Tips to Help you Get Outdoors!"},"content":{"rendered":"
This post is aimed for those of us navigating midlife, the perimenopause or menopause who want to feel better and get outdoors this winter.<\/em><\/p>\n I often find January and February hard work. Dreary, grey UK skies (although NOT at the time of writing!), it gets me down. I have this urge for Spring to \u2018hurry up\u2019. The irony is not lost on me – London Life Coach, works outdoors..!<\/p>\n Winter can affect our mood negatively; it can disrupt hormones, our sleep pattern and overall well being. We want to hibernate, and although as a human species we don\u2019t, we instinctively feel the need to stay inside, wrapped up and not go out.<\/p>\n Stepping outside into daylight – literally and metaphorically, can work wonders on the brain and soul.<\/p>\n So here are my five top tips to encourage you to get outdoors into nature, to improve your wellbeing this winter, even when you might not want to. Plus, I have a top tip<\/strong> for when it is a challenge!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spending just over 2 hours a week – without your phone – significantly reduces a person\u2019s stress levels (cortisol) and can reduce anxiety, depression and ruminating thoughts according to research by The University of Exeter – more here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Prof. Andrew Huberman considers morning sunlight exposure \u2018in the top five of all actions that support mental health, physical health and performance\u2019<\/em>. Morning sunlight, even through clouds (perfect for us in the UK!), contributes to better sleep by resetting your circadian clock. In effect, morning sunlight gives us the cue that 14-16 hours later, it\u2019ll be bedtime. <\/p>\n Getting outdoors helps our gut health. \u201cWe know that good mental and physical health comes from having a diverse gut microbiome. So not only does the fresh air help our lungs, it gets right down into our guts too\u201d<\/em>, says Dana Chapman,<\/a> Nutritional Therapist. She draws parallels between a diverse gut microbiome and a harmonious and thriving village, to highlight the importance of diversity for immune, mental, and physical wellbeing. \u201cThe more diversity of people in the village the more harmony there is, and it\u2019s exactly the same in our gut\u201d<\/em>.1.\u00a0 \u00a020 minutes a day in nature to improve your mood<\/h2>\n
\nGetting outdoors into the park everyday is a non-negotiable for my wellbeing. And this is of course is partly why I life coach outdoors; nature soothes us. We loosen up with the movement of walking, our thoughts become more free as we start to think more clearly, we de-stress. I LOVE Beckenham Place Park<\/a> (you possibly already know this!) to lift my mood; open space, woodland, swimming in the lake – see tip 5.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Enhance mental and physical health with morning sunlight<\/h2>\n
\nPlus, at this time of year we have the huge benefit of seeing the most amazing sunrises at a reasonable time of day. I sometimes walk my dog Rolo at this time of day in Sydenham Wells Park and it totally lifts me! Read more about the benefits of morning sunlight, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 \u00a0Increase the diversity in your gut microbiome<\/h2>\n
\nShe offers some simple and delicious recipes on her website – I like this Salmon salad<\/a>. Plus she offer workshops on nutrition, mental health and neurodivergence. And, as nutritional health really interests me, here’s a pic of my 2nd attempt at making Kimchi, a fermented food which is great for the gut microbiome. Yum!<\/p>\n