From cooking to debriefs: Six tips for managing seasonal depression as a Cardiff student

This time of year can be particularly difficult, with many people suffering from low mood and sadness.

Just when you think you are getting into a routine, winter sweeps in carrying all sorts of challenges: Shorter days, colder weather. Suddenly, getting out of bed or making it to your morning lecture is not as easy.

So, here is a short list of self-care tips to help you battle low mood during those long winter months.

A walk in the park

Bute and Roath Parks provide beautiful green spaces that are both peaceful and pretty to walk through.

Bute Park boasts views of the city from its many bridges, whilst Roath Park provides a tranquil lake with swans and geese.

Even during the colder months, the parks are still gorgeous, and a walk through them can help clear your head and subdue any uni stresses you might be experiencing. Being in nature also generates positive emotions and can improve mood!

Get a gym membership or join a run club

It is scientifically proven that exercise releases endorphins, which ultimately help improve your mood, so investing in something such as a gym membership can be perfect for when you are feeling low and need a distraction.

The benefits of going to the gym are endless: Stress relief, improved mood, and improved physical health.

However, If you don’t fancy the gym, are worried about going, or maybe can’t afford it, then running is also an amazing option.

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Running on your own or with others is such a great way to clear your head, boosting your low mood during those long winter months. Just make sure to wrap up warm, and let someone know where you’re going, especially if running at night.

Coffee with friends

Sometimes when you’re feeling down the best thing to do can be to get out and socialise, honestly switching off from work can be just what you need to feel better.

Meeting up with friends for a coffee and a debrief is the perfect distraction from the hardships of uni life. Cardiff is full of adorable individual cafés and coffee shops, many hidden throughout the arcades in the city centre, so why not get out, explore, and treat yourself to a coffee.

Find a new study spot

Seasonal depression typically appears at the worst time of year for uni students. The looming deadlines can become overwhelming, so maybe a change of scenery is what you need to motivate yourself to complete your assignments. Whether that’s a coffee shop or one of the many libraries the uni has to offer, a change of scenery can be like resetting your brain.

Try and find somewhere with lots of natural light, as vitamin D can do wonders to lift your mood, and the absence of sunlight in the winter months can make motivating yourself particularly difficult.

Eat well and try out new recipes

One of the biggest and most unsuspecting forms of self-care is eating well. A healthy and balanced diet can really help your brain function, mental health, and mood.

Try incorporating more fruit and veg into your diet, or perhaps alter some of your favourite meals to contain healthier ingredients. Experimenting with new recipes is also a fun way to vary your diet. That’s not to say you can’t still treat yourself though, because a sweet treat from Lidl bakery is always the perfect pick me up on those days where life feels particularly tough, am I right?

Decorate and tidy your room

A clean room = a happy mind, so people say. But really, having a tidy room can put your mind in such a better place, bonus if it is nicely decorated. It might feel like a big and daunting task at first, but it will ultimately make you feel so much better afterwards.

My advice is to do it in sections, as having everything in front of you to organise can be overwhelming. Little and often tends to be the best way.

However, if you are struggling and need help, you can contact Mind via this link, or you can find more information about support via Cardiff University here.