How to Beat the Winter Blues

These are a few of CSL’s favourite ways to kick those winter blues to the curb.

Get some fresh air

Take a hike. Bundle up and get some fresh air. We’ve got some amazing forest walks on our doorstep so put down your phone and step away from screens. Fresh air helps with stress, depression and improves the quality of sleep.

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D, aka the sunshine vitamin, is a MUST for winter time. Good levels of vitamin D supports your overall health & immunity. Over the counter can be just as good, but if you’re after a real boost – contact your doctor who can prescribe higher strength vitamin D.

Light therapy 

Buy a lamp or two for your desk, your home, and wherever else you need it. You can buy lamps specifically designed for light therapy that mimic the effect of sunlight and can greatly improve your mood. 

Meditation and yoga 

Get out of your head for a bit and everything doesn’t seem so very dismal. Work on meditation or attend some yoga classes. Jivamukti or Yogaloft are two of our very favorite yoga spots in Luxembourg. There are also a plethora of mobile apps, such as Headspace and Calm, that offer self-guided or audio-guided meditation programs.

Spa Time

Look to the Swedes, Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Fins, Turks etc. and follow suit. Call on Spa Escape or Elasc to sort you out with a deep tissue massage or warm butter coconut treatment, ooh yes, please.

Turn off the screen

Cold weather often means we spend more time indoors, and that tempts us to turn to Netflix or our phones. Social media and streaming services seem like the perfect way to kill time during a long winter’s day, but too much screen time diminishes mood, builds fatigue and makes it hard to focus on getting yourself to a better place. Read a book for escape, instead. Giving your eyes brief respite from hours and hours of blue light is good for the body, and doing so an hour before you go to bed can greatly improve your sleep.

Hot Yoga

Intense, Sahara-desert-level heat means you will forget it is freezing outside, and moving through yoga poses will remind you what it’s like to actually do something physical with your body. Our favorite hot yoga is hands down Hot Box in Strassen.

Book a trip to somewhere warm

Nothing can put a light at the end of the tunnel like something on the calendar to look forward to. Find an affordable, warm location to get a change of scenery and a break from the dreariness. Book a trip to anywhere that is known for sunshine and great weather and isn’t currently locked down or restricted for travel, and enjoy some time away from the cold.

Call a professional

It can never hurt to try talking to a therapist. Often it can be beneficial to speak to someone who is specifically there to help you. Therapy is a good idea for everyone, not just those struggling with their mental health, and it could help ease some of the heaviness of the winter season.