Mid-November and the daylight is definitely reducing now.  Recent studies suggest that 8% of the UK population suffer real symptoms of SAD, but 57% of adults – that’s over half – say that their mood is worse in the winter compared to the summer, suggesting a real correlation between the weather and wellbeing.  It’s certainly true for me and for many clients I speak to.

I know that regular exercise makes a real difference to how I feel in the winter.  Once my day starts though – seeing coaching and massage clients and running my businesses – it’s tricky to make time to get out.  So I’ve been getting up early to go for a walk.

I’ve set a goal of 5,000 steps a day – about 2 ¼ miles – most of which I do first thing in the morning.  It takes about 45 minutes and sets me up for the day.  After 15 minutes walking my energy suddenly rises, my mind clears, my spirits lift and I realise why I do this mad, crazy thing every morning – because it makes me feel good.  And all that before the sun rises!  I feel happier, healthier, clearer mentally and satisfied that I am doing the best for myself.

Getting up at 05.40 every morning – in the complete dark – is hard, but recently I’ve found something that really makes a difference for me.  It’s a wake-up light.  It is an alarm clock that has a light built in.  It works by slowly brightening the light until – at the alarm time you set – the light is at its brightest.  There are many sorts on the market, but the one I bought is called a Lumie Bodyclock Starter 30 and it retails for about £60, although I got mine second hand for £40.

To be clear, it’s not a SAD treatment light – they are much, much brighter and the light they emit has different wavelengths.  This light is an aid to waking up.  I have the sound turned off and instead I use an old mobile phone (with no SIM card and no WiFi so no nasty radiation beside my bed!) running an app called SleepCycle (free for most features).   This uses the principle that we sleep in cycles of deep and lighter sleep and that waking in the lighter part of the cycle makes it SO much easier to get up and FEEL awake.

This combination of SleepCycle and the wake-up light is a winner for me.

Most mornings, the gentle tune starts seemingly as I open my eyes and – miraculously – the room is full light, which means I stay awake.  This paring doesn’t disturb my wife either – she does stir but easily goes off again after I get up, so it suits us both.  If you struggle to get up these dark mornings, try these out.

I also recommend going for a walk every day.  Smokers are allowed breaks outside and us non-smokers can also take advantage of this!  Get out and walk around the block – I believe that 15 minutes is all it takes to feel the effects but 30 is great.  Rain or shine, get out and walk.  Let me know if you try this and what difference it makes for you.