How To Beat The Winter Blues: Family Edition

Find out how you can tackle the seasonal sadness as the winter blues reach their peak

As January unfolds, it’s easy to feel the chill not just in the air, but sometimes in our spirits too. We’ve all been there – the holiday festivities are over, the twinkling lights are packed away, and suddenly, the dark and gloomy January hits. But fear not, because you’re not alone in this winter blues saga – the nationally recognised “blue Monday” is proof enough of that! – and many will be battling with the seasonal sadness.

What Are The Winter Blues?

If you have lived in the UK during the winter, you have likely experienced some form of winter blues, and in some cases, this can even progress to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Both the winter blues and SAD are linked with the effects of less sunlight and shorter days with the NHS estimating that 1 in 15 people – including children - will experience seasonal affective disorder each year.

As the winter blues affects so many of us, we carried out independent research to find out how Brits experience winter blues, and what they find is best to tackle them each year.

Feeling low in the winter months is often caused by seasonal changes, and when we asked what they thought their biggest trigger for the winter woes was, 59% of Brits said poor weather. 58% also said fewer daylight hours contributed, followed by feeling cold over a long period (50%) and having to stay indoors all the time (40%). Over a third of those that we asked (37%) also said that financial worries, such as having to pay more for heating and electricity, add to their winter sadness.

The winter blues can also have a knock-on effect on other factors in our lives, such as our social lives. As the weather becomes gloomier and the rain and frost slow down travel, fewer social meetup options are available for us to see friends and family. In fact, our survey found that a third (33%) of Brits don’t feel sociable during the winter and don’t want to see friends and family, because the days are so dark and gloomy.

And these affects don’t necessarily last just in the winter months, as the majority of Brits that we asked (47%) said that they don’t feel the winter blues are over until March. 10% even say that they don’t see the winter blues go all the way until April!

Do the winter blues hit parents the hardest?

The winter blues are never easy, particularly for parents who have to look after not just themselves, but their children too.

Our study revealed that more than one in four (28%) British parents said they suffer from winter blues often, with a majority (62%) experiencing a lack of motivation as their top symptom. Over a third (38%) reported experiencing unhappiness, sadness, or depression, with 44% of 18–24-year-olds saying they felt this way.

Others said they were tired (56%) and didn’t want to go outside at all (39%).

For parents specifically, 58% say they find it much harder to parent during the winter, and 76% of parents find it much more difficult to keep children entertained. 79% of parents say their children much prefer the summer months as they can do more outside, while 53% say they find parenting in winter a hassle with having to remember enough warm clothing for everyone.

Do children get the winter blues?

The winter can be hard for all of us, and children are no exception. When we asked parents whether they noticed a change in their kids over the winter months, over half (55%) said they noticed that their children become more subdued and less energetic, compared to other times of the year.

When we asked what parents found to be the top signs of winter blues in their children, 40% said they saw a significant lack of motivation in their kids. Lacking energy (38%) and tiredness (37%) were also top symptoms observed by parents.

When we dug deeper, we found that the winter blues can affect children of any age, with over a third (36%) of parents saying that 13-17-year-olds seem to feel the effects most. Other ages included 32% of parents saying their children aged 0-5 suffer winter blues with the symptoms affecting them severely and 30% of parents said their children between the ages of 6-12 years also experience seasonal sadness.

How to beat the winter blues

Dealing with the “winter blues” as a parent can be difficult and we wanted to investigate more into how we can tackle these low months, as they come around every year. That’s why we partnered with health and wellbeing expert, Dr Radha, to provide helpful guidance on managing winter blues symptoms – for parents and adults.

Dr Radha comments: “It can be tough to get through winter and maintaining our mental and emotional wellbeing can be challenging. It is dark and cold, and there are lots of pressures that life brings us to deal with. There are, however, lots of things we can do to help ourselves feel better and that will mean it’s easier for us to get through those months.

“Planning things to do and having something to look forward to is one of those strategies. Research studies have shown that when we associate an activity with pleasure, just anticipating or looking forward to doing it can release dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked with feeling good and improved motivation.”

Whatever we plan to help beat the winter blues, whether that be simple day-to-day activities, or larger weekend plans, the way we combat seasonal sadness can vary between men, women, and children. For example, we found that men prefer to spend time at home with family (49%), whereas women prefer to get out of the house and go for a walk or walk to somewhere, such as a café (53%).

Other winter blue deterrents included doing a family activity outside the home (41%), doing any form of physical activity (32%), and booking a spring/summer holiday to have something to look forward to (28%).

We found that during the winter months, it’s common for Brits to sit and think about past and future hot holidays. In fact, 60% of Brits said they find themselves often daydreaming of lying on a beach in the sun - which is no wonder when it’s so cold and bleak in the UK!

Almost half (46%) of the Brits we asked think that going on a holiday at some point during the winter months is the best thing to fight the winter blues. Over a quarter (26%) admitted that they have jetted off to escape the cold in the past and enjoy some winter sun.

Having a winter break abroad booked is a great way to have something to look forward to during the winter months and 85% of Brits agree that this keeps their winter spirits high. Although if going abroad during the winter isn’t viable for you, 65% of the Brits we asked also agreed that booking your family summer holiday early can help boost your mood by giving you something to look forward to.

Going on a trip as a family is also a great way to spend quality time and many parents agree with this, with 81% of parents stating that they feel connected to their children during family holidays. Lots of parents agree so much, that over half of the parents we asked (59%) said they would never go on a staycation without their children.

Brits are on the right track by planning ahead and booking a holiday to banish the winter woes. Dr Radha agrees with these tactics, as she adds: “Studies have also shown that if we are going through a stressful time, having something to look forward to can help us cope better in the present moment, and make us feel more optimistic.

“Anticipating experiences may also bring us more happiness than having material things. This can be lots of small, simple things, like a family movie night at the weekend, or a big event in the future – like a summer holiday. It is worth getting out your diary, sparking your imagination, and planning something lovely to look forward to!”

Expert Tips To Fight The Winter Woes

For any parents struggling, Dr Radha has some tips to help get them and their family through to spring:

1. Find the light - It’s great to get as much natural sunlight as you can. Try to get outside during the daylight hours and fit this into your routine so that you stick to it regularly. You should also try to make your indoor surroundings as light as possible and sit near windows if you are working or relaxing for a period of time.

2. Get moving - Regular exercise and getting active can help boost your mood. Small simple changes like using stairs rather than a lift at work or going for a lunchtime walk can add up. Make sure it’s something you enjoy and can have fun with because then you’ll be more likely to stick to it and try doing something with a friend or a class to make it social too.

3. Manage stress - Stress can have an impact on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Try different techniques like having some time for self-care, talking it through with people you trust, and getting the support you need. Find practical solutions to things that are worrying you and use simple breathing techniques to feel calmer.

4. Plan things to look forward to - Having lots of small simple things or a few big events scheduled in your diary to look forward to can reduce our stress levels and boost our mood and wellbeing. It is easy to forget to plan or the demands of life make it hard to do so, but if we proactively sit down and plan or book some lovely activities in advance, we can help ourselves feel better.

5. Connect - Our relationships and healthy, frequent and meaningful connection with others, friends, family, colleagues and neighbours are a key factor in our ability to deal with tough times. Talking things through with them, activities to experience together and making new memories can all help.