{"id":61827,"date":"2025-01-16T18:03:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T18:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunsweeteurdev.wpenginepowered.com\/on-darker-days-shine-a-light-on-emotional-wellbeing\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T19:20:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T18:20:35","slug":"on-darker-days-shine-a-light-on-emotional-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/on-darker-days-shine-a-light-on-emotional-wellbeing\/","title":{"rendered":"On Darker Days, Shine a Light on Emotional Wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"61827\" class=\"elementor elementor-61827 elementor-7777\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e1d68fb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1e1d68fb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f29c9ea elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4f29c9ea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">It\u2019s always important to be mindful of your mental health but never more so than when the days get shorter and gloomier. During the winter months, it can be hard to overcome the temptation to grind to a halt, physically. And inactivity, for a prolonged period of time, can throw everything off kilter: from our mood, to the digestion of our food and everything in-between.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) \u2013 also known colloquially as the winter blues \u2013 is a recognised condition. A key symptom of SAD is a low mood that worsens as winter progresses but other symptoms include:<\/p><ul style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\"><li>Irritability<\/li><li>Feelings of lethargy<\/li><li>Craving stodgy food and thus gaining weight<\/li><\/ul><p style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">It\u2019s always worthwhile seeking medical advice if you feel like you\u2019re struggling to cope with day-to-day activities. But lifestyle adjustments \u2013 although sometimes difficult to implement when your energy levels are low \u2013 can help with the management of symptoms, too. It\u2019s important to get as much sunlight as possible, for example, and to take positive steps toward managing your stress levels.<\/p><h3><strong>The impact of stress on digestion<\/strong><\/h3><p style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Stress can be as bad for your body as it is for your head and can exacerbate a range of symptoms including\u00a0poor appetite and tummy troubles. Digestion is a super-sensitive process, all too easily compromised by the stresses and strains of contemporary living. It\u2019s the body\u2019s way of breaking down food, a normal bodily function about which most of us never give a moment\u2019s thought. But when the\u00a0digestive system gets out of step, the entire body can feel its unwelcome effects. It can cause emotional issues, like anxiety, and physical issues, like bloating, reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. In these super-busy times, stress can feel almost inevitable. It\u2019s worthwhile having a few tried and trusted techniques to hand, for when the pressure starts to mount. Practice mindfulness, walk with a friend, enjoy a soak in the bath, cook a delicious and healthy meal for you and a loved one to enjoy \u2013 whatever helps you to relax!<\/p><h3><strong>Lifestyle tweaks<\/strong><\/h3><p style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">After a long day, it can be hard to find the energy to eat well. But grabbing something convenient that\u2019s low in nutrition may leave you with even lower energy levels \u2013 a vicious circle. Why not see if, with a little advance-planning, you can break that cycle? Rustle up some soups and stews in batches so that you can simply warm them up. Compile a list of a few temptingly\u00a0<a style=\"color: #8cc642; text-decoration-line: none;\" href=\"\/recipes\/\">tasty recipes<\/a>. That way, you can prep dinner, pop it in the oven and then wrap up warm and buzz out for a quick walk while it\u2019s cooking. The combination of fresh air and the increased oxygen levels that follow exercise helps to release serotonin, the feel-good chemical. Now that\u2019s what we call a win-win!<\/p><p style=\"color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Please Note:<\/span>\u00a0Prunes are good for digestion and help keep you regular, when 100g are eaten as part of a varied and balanced diet and an active lifestyle. Always consult a GP if you have any health concerns.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Feeling the winter blues? Discover simple, mood-boosting tips to support your emotional wellbeing during the darker months \u2013 with a little help from good nutrition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-choris-katigoria"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunsweet.eu\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}