Bright frosty mornings, cooking a hearty meal, watching a festive film… these are just a few things you might enjoy in the winter. But this time of year also brings its challenges. Shorter days and colder temperatures can affect your mood, feelings of loneliness can be heightened at this time of year, and with the cost of living continuing to rise, you might be worried about paying your bills.
London’s digital mental wellbeing service, Good Thinking, is here to support you all year round. In this article, you’ll find information about dealing with your finances, staying connected with friends and family and coping with possible changes in mood during the winter months. We hope you find it useful and would encourage you to reach out for help if you need it.
With food prices and household bills remaining high, many Londoners are feeling the pinch. In fact, research by the Greater London Authority shows that around 400,000 households in London are affected by fuel poverty whilst The Felix Project estimates that one in four working parents in London struggle to feed their families.
Debt Free Advice report that calls to their service have increased by 20% compared to last year and Managing Director, Matt Dronfield says, “As winter approaches, over a quarter of our clients are burdened by utility bill debt, facing the agonizing choice between keeping warm and putting food on the table. Around 1 in 5 clients are also experiencing mental health issues due to their debt. Reach out to the free available services in your area as early as possible if you’re worried about your finance and wellbeing."
If you’re finding it stressful staying on top of your finances, you might find the steps below helpful:
- Focus on what you can control – if you find you are spending lots of time thinking about what the energy companies or politicians are doing, instead try to focus on the small things you can achieve personally. These might be practical (like changing your energy tariff) or fun (like going for a walk with a friend).
- Ask for help – money worries can affect your mental health and, at the same time, your mental health can affect how you manage your finances so it’s important that you ask for help when you need it (we’ve put together a list of support organisations below).
- Be kind to yourself – make sure your daily routine includes enjoyable and rewarding activities and that you prioritise exercise, self-care and sleep.
Use the following Good Thinking resource to boost your mental wellbeing and get practical advice on dealing with money worries:
For advice and support available in London from the Greater London Authority:
For help managing your finances or dealing with debt, we recommend the following websites:
- Citizens Advice - advice on getting help with the cost of living
- Debt Free Advice (0800 808 5700) - free, expert advice to individuals with problem debt
- Energy Advice London (0808 196 8260) - free advice on saving energy and money
- Money Helper - free guidance from the Money & Pensions Service
- StepChange - free debt advice
- UK Government (Cost of Living Payments) - guidance on getting extra payments to help with the cost of living if you’re entitled to certain benefits or tax credits
- UK Government (Household Support Fund) - help with the cost of living from your local council
A study for the Mayor of London revealed that one in 12 Londoners (around 700,000 people) are often or always lonely and that Londoners are more likely than people in other parts of the UK to be affected by loneliness. With the festive season approaching and the cost of socialising rising, feelings of isolation and sadness might increase.
If you’re feeling lonely, try to incorporate the five ways to good mental wellbeing in your life:
- Connect with other people – check in with friends and family and stay in touch via phone, text, email and video chat. If you’d like to meet new people, how about joining a local community group or befriending network?
- Be physically active – whether you walk, run, cycle or do something else, exercise has many benefits for your mental health… and, even more so, if you exercise with a friend or in a group.
- Learn something new – could you sign up for a course or join a local club? You’ll not only learn something new but meet new people too.
- Give to others – supporting other people can also help to make you happy so perhaps you could volunteer for a local charity or offer to help one of your neighbours?
- Pay attention to the present moment – slowing down and being more mindful can help you to understand yourself better and enjoy life more.
Make the most of the following Good Thinking resources to help you connect with others:
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing for different faiths (guides)
- How to cope with loneliness
If you’re looking for ways to meet new people in London, check out these websites:
If you’re feeling isolated and would like to speak to someone, there are lots of helplines available, including:
- Age UK (0800 055 6112)
- The Silverline (0800 4 70 80 90) - a free telephone service for older people
- Samaritans (116 123)
- SHOUT (text SHOUT to 85258) - a free, confidential, text support service
- The Mix (0800 808 4994) - free information and support for under 25s
You can also talk to your GP about how you’re feeling. They might be able to refer you to a social prescribing service, which connects patients with local community groups and adult learning opportunities.
It’s normal to experience changes in mood as we move between seasons. One of the reasons you might experience low mood during the winter months is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
More than two million people in the UK are affected by SAD, a type of depression that often becomes more severe during the winter when there is less sunlight. The symptoms include lacking energy, being irritable, feeling sad, sleeping for longer and losing interest in the things you normally enjoy.
If low mood is affecting your daily life, you might like to:
- Talk to your GP – during your consultation (either phone or face-to-face), they will assess you and suggest some things that might help.
- Spend more time outside – sunlight can affect your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) as well as the production of the sleep hormone (melatonin) and the mood stabiliser (serotonin) so try to get outside as much as possible, especially around midday.
- Connect with friends and relatives – spending time with other people can give you a focus and an energy boost as well as the opportunity to share how you’re feeling.
- Exercise regularly – not only does this help your physical health, it can improve your mental wellbeing and enhance the quality of your sleep. Perhaps you could see what’s on offer at your local leisure centre or join a local sports club?
- Track your activities and mood – in your diary or journal or in the Notes app on your phone, write down what you do each day and how it makes you feel then replace any activities that result in negative feelings (e.g. spending time alone at home) with more positive ones (e.g. going for a walk, having lunch with a friend or doing your favourite hobby).
Check out Good Thinking’s free resources to help you improve your mood:
- 12 ways to good mental wellbeing for the festive season (article)
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing for different faith (guides)
- Free NHS-approved wellbeing apps
- How to connect with nature to boost your wellbeing (article)
There is lots of advice and support available for Seasonal Affective Disorder. The following websites are a good place to start:
Knowing if a family member, friend or colleague is struggling with their mental health and how you can help them can be difficult.
It may not always be possible to spot the signs, so it’s really important to check how people are feeling and to create a safe and supportive space for them to open up. There is guidance available to help you encourage a gentle and supportive conversation and to know when this may be needed.
“Cold, dark days. Cost of living crisis. Loneliness. It’s all enough to make us sad… or give us SAD! Not helped by living in the season when we are supposed to be jolly... On the other hand, it is an opportunity for us to be kind to someone or to check in on those around us. Let’s face it, we all need some support for our mental health from time to time, and many of us are struggling with multiple challenges to our mental wellbeing.” - Dr Phil Moore, Emeritus Clinical Director Mental Health, NHS England (London)
If you think someone needs support this winter, check out the following resources for individuals and professionals from Good Thinking and Thrive LDN:
- Good Thinking (quick guides for supporting others)
- Good Thinking (‘Mental health and me’ guide)
- Thrive LDN (mental health conversation starter)
- Thrive LDN and Healthy Dialogues (training for key workers and community champions)
- Thrive LDN (trauma-informed practice training)
- Zero Suicide Alliance (free online training for suicide prevention)
When you’re worried about money, feeling lonely or struggling with low mood, you might start to feel completely overwhelmed. Please don’t suffer alone.
If you’re very distressed, you can contact the following organisations for urgent support:
- NHS 24/7 mental health crisis lines in London boroughs
- Samaritans (116 123)
- SHOUT (text SHOUT to 85258)
If you need help urgently but are not at risk of harm or serious illness, call NHS 111.
If it’s an emergency situation, call 999.
