Dear Winter, I’m feeling gloomy: How writing a letter for the season or sitting by a window helps beat the blues

As winter approaches, with its gloomy days and longer nights, it’s no wonder we can feel a little down.

But experts may have finally found an answer to the “winter blues” and it involves talking about the season itself.

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, around 3% of adults suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or sadness, while even more feel daunted or depressed at the thought of a long winter ahead.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow have found that writing a letter beginning “Dear Winter” and telling the season about how you feel can ease feelings of depression.

Techniques, including the use of candles and invigorating walks, are cheap and effective alternatives to sun simulator lamps.

When it’s dark and wintry outside, using candles, mirrors, and shiny objects to create more light in the home can also help.

Another idea is to imagine sitting in a medieval veranda, a room with large windows located at the top of castles or surrounded by stained glass.

When it’s dark and wintry outside, using candles, mirrors, and shiny objects to create more light in the home can also help.

Other suggestions include sitting by a window when you have to work indoors and taking walks to look at the sky and note its colors.

Professor Hester Parr, from the University of Glasgow, said: “Instead of thinking about how gray and dark the sky can be, people can count the colors of the sky and notice how the light changes or passes through the clouds.

“The idea is to maximize light as much as possible, and maybe go to any fall and winter festivals that celebrate light, like Bonfire Night or Halloween, when people light jack-o-lanterns. “

The advice is in a book called Light Is A Right: A Guide To Wintering Well. The researchers also offer a free online cognitive behavioral therapy course called Living Life To The Full, which aims to help sad people. Their project will be launched on October 28 online and at the University of Glasgow. The public can attend.