1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to sidebar

Topics:

How to survive seasonal blues

Don't let the winter blahs get you and your family down

By
//
Originally published in Today's Parent January 2011

When the mercury plummets, does your heart sink too? Try these tips to recapture your family’s summer highs during record-setting lows.

Eat right

We know you know this, but proper nutrition at this time of year is especially important. Both serotonin and omega-3 essential fatty acids are said to help combat the blues, so try cooking meals that include walnuts and fish (which contain omega-3s), as well as fruits such as bananas and pineapple, which help boost your levels of serotonin.

The long Canadian winter also deprives us of sunlight and, therefore, vitamin D. Combat that by making sure kids drink their milk and by serving eggs regularly, or ask your doctor about a vitamin D supplement.

Embrace denial

Stuck inside? Pretend it’s summer. Don your bathing suits and floppy hats, and spend an afternoon making tropical blender drinks. You can serve them with paper umbrellas while you play board games or watch beach movies.

Regular exercise that gets your heart pumping is another natural cure for the blues. Add a limbo contest to that beach party. Or check out what drop-in activities are available at your community centre — you might be surprised to find indoor rock climbing or ball hockey. You might even have a bowling alley or trampoline club nearby.

Subscribe to Today's Parent for just $14.95* That's only $1.25 an issue!

May We Also Suggest...

What do you think?