Beat Those Blues!

The nights are long, dark and cold and most of us are feeling deflated after the rush and the flurry and the excitement of Christmas.

So I threw together a little list of ways that you can beat those winter blues, and inject some warmth back into your days!

1. Soak up the sun. Tough to do when it's cloudy and grey outside, right? True, and unless you can jet off to a Caribbean beach to soak up the vitamin D you'll have to be a bit creative. Leave the house as much as you can, go for walks or a jog, sit near the windows in a cafe or restaurant, and just avoid keeping yourself closeted in dim rooms for hours at a time. Fresh air and sunlight can work wonders!

2. Keep cosy! That sounds like I'm stating the obvious, but there are things you can do apart from muffling up in layers of scarves and hats all day. Wearing a base layer (I learned this from my arborist boyfriend) is the key to keeping your body warm especially if you're outside for long periods of time. Hot drinks can bring an instant flash of warmth to your hands and stomach - I'm a coffee girl myself, but will never say no to a hot chocolate.

3. Relive your childhood. Disney films aren't just for kids! If you have any tots in your family, round them up for a DVD day - and give them a selection of your favourites to choose from, so you know you'll enjoy!

4. Make a list, and stick to it! I'm talking about New Year's Resolutions. We all make them, don't we? Wild, life-changing lists and then when next December creeps around and you realise you've crossed off, well, none of them it can be a bit disheartening. You don't feel like you've progressed. So start small, and set targets. 'By January, I will have done A and B. By June, I will have done C and D, and stopped doing E.' Nobody expects you to change the world. But small changes often lead to bigger ones than you expected.

5. Eat well. I don't mean feating like there's no end (which is what most of us do on Christmas), but keeping it balanced. If you must eat everything you see (like me), try and mix it up with your main food categories, and go easy on the chocolate and caffeine in the AM.

6. Work hard, play hard. Christmas is for family time, but family time can get pretty taxing. Make sure you set aside some 'you' time, to catch up on your thank-you notes, that film you wanted to see, that half hour at the gym or just to snooze on the sofa with the dog. Nobody will think worse of you, and you'll be more revitalised for your next engagement.

Now to settle down in front of The Lion King in my slippers...