By Sian Williams, First Year, LLM International Law
It seems rather fitting to be writing this in Bristol Folk House’s café, my laptop perched next to a brochure packed with evening courses and workshops. Apparently, you can learn conversational Italian, how to line dance, or make botanical beauty products under just one roof. And I must admit, despite not having had the urge to wear cowboy boots previously, the dark and dreary nights following the Christmas break have left me tempted to sign up. Not even halfway through January, searching for a cure to my ‘winter blues’ is a priority. I know it’s crucial to get out of this slump.
January comes around every year, so by now I should probably know how to deal with the cold, opaque evenings that it brings as its belated (and unwanted) Christmas gift. However, the long pinks and greens of spring and summer always raise my mood so much that I tend to forget what is actually coming: forcing myself to get up when it’s still black outside, plodding to lectures in the rain, and leaving said lectures to once again find myself in the pitch-black – and yes, usually, the rain.
At this time of the year, I find it harder to make and stick to plans, get myself to the gym, and keep in frequent contact with friends. Sluggish, irritable and emotional sounds about right. I expect that these are my symptoms of the so-called ‘winter blues’. This is the term that has been coined for those who find that their moods worsen during these months. And yes, it’s a real thing: let me (and frankly probably you) be the proof. It apparently affects young people and those who live further from the equator more frequently, so it would seem that Bristol students have a nice double-whammy chance here.
And we’re right in the thick of it at the moment, because January is the month with an especially bad rap. The clinical team at the Charlie Waller Trust told us that ‘the return to university after a break… and the added weight of “new year, new you” messaging all potentially [make] symptoms feel worse.’ I would agree, especially with the latter. I fell for this messaging last year (as I do every year) and tried to cut out sugar for the month, which was tough and didn’t last.
This time of year is hard enough without getting rid of things we like. Which is exactly why we need to work on re-framing January as both an opportunity to try new things and an excuse to lean into a slower pace of life. Life can be so busy that this could be as good a time as ever to introduce a new hobby or embrace being cosy at home. This isn’t intended to underplay how hard things can be. But perhaps getting outside more, trying something new, and accepting what we’re working with is at least worth a try.
This is especially true considering that ‘winter blues’ can become more severe. Around one in twenty people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly shortened to the acronym SAD). This is a type of depression that happens in winter. Although it isn’t known exactly what causes SAD, most seem to put it down to the reduced levels of daylight in winter and chemical changes that this causes in the human brain. This link makes sense to me. During spring and summer, and whenever I’m at home in North Wales, I walk outside a lot - and my mood is pretty good. But during the winter, and in Bristol where I don’t know many good hiking spots yet, I don’t get nearly as much natural daylight and my mood clearly suffers.
To test this out, I’ve been getting more active in Bristol. Armed with many-a-queued podcast (honourable mentions go to Dish and The Louis Theroux Podcast), I’ve slowly been finding nice routes to walk and run. A firm favourite at the moment is around the harbour, past M-Shed, and then to the Arnolfini bookshop for a quick browse. As expected, just being around people and seeing a blue sky not from behind a smudged window feels good. I’m not being naïve in thinking that this is going to immediately get me out of my winter slump, but I’m taking any wins that I can get right now. At least it’s a start.
Before we know it, the light of March will arrive with its frequent plans and demand for more hair washing, and we might be glad we embraced the calm of winter. After all, January does come around every year. Let’s try and re-claim it this time. And I think that I might know somewhere to start a second hobby. Anybody want to get line dancing with me? O imparare l'italiano? I’ll see you at the Folk House.
Featured image: Epigram / Sian Williams
How do you beat the winter blues?
