Dr Mon’s Winter Wellness Hacks

Hello!! Let me officially introduce myself, my name is Dr Mon and I am Free Soul’s community GP. What does that exactly mean? I’m here to be a credible source of information on all things wellness – from latest trends to myth busting to general tips on how you can improve your overall health. And we are kicking off my first ever blog with Winter Wellness Hacks.  

Winter can be a challenging time for our health, with the cold weather, early dark nights, multiple christmas events as well the coughs and colds going around. So I’m going to share some top tips that you can easily include into your routine this winter. 

Stay hydrated 

During the winter, we are more likely to stay indoors and have the heating on to stay warm but this can cause the air to be drier which can dry out our nasal passages (one of the first areas to fight off any coughs/colds) and lead to dehydration. 

Things you can do to stay hydrated: 

• Drinking water and having warm drinks 
• Eating hydrating foods like a yummy soup 
• Replacing your electrolytes by using Free Soul Hydrate which is also packed with vitamin C and zinc – perfect for supporting your immune system! 

Daily movement 

With the temperature dropping and the days growing shorter, it can be easy to stay indoors and be less active. I don’t know about you but the winter has really thrown my daily routine off but I’ve tried to make a conscious effort to stay active because of the impact I know it has on my physical and mental health.  

Tips to help you stay active: 

• Meet with a friend and go for a coffee/class  
• Try something new and be creative with your workouts 
• Remember daily movement looks different to everyone 

Aim for some natural light 

The shorter days and less sunlight can really impact our mental health and some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Natural light can help regulate our sleep, improve our mood but also mean you can get some vitamin D, which is such a key player in some many aspects such as; bone health, immunity, muscle and nerve function and energy levels. 

Tips to get you some natural light: 

• Try to spend some times outside every day – even if its just stepping outside your front door or opening a window 
• Try going for a walk everyday or eating lunch outside 
• Brighten up your home and allow as much natural light as you can during the day 

Prioritise well balanced meals 

Sometimes I feel with the festive season and all the events my food habits go out of the window. I find myself starting the day so well but then by the evening, running from work to events or saying yes to last minute plans means I really neglect my food choices. And whilst it’s ok to have these days once in a while, I cannot help but feel bad about myself sometimes. But some tips I have stood by that have really helped me are: 

• Prioritising a protein rich well balanced breakfast (my go to is my cherry, cinnamon and vanilla oats using Free Soul vanilla protein) 
• Never skip meals  
• Remember it’s ok to go out and eat or have something that you didn’t expect to have – its all about BALANCE. 

Be kind to yourself 

This one is something I really need to work on myself. The festive period can be a really weird time with lots of different and confusing emotions. You see people on social media going out every single night doing incredible things or you overindulge and then wake up the next day and have instant regret and that can make you feel really rubbish. Please remember to be kind to yourself. Speak to yourself like the younger version of you, you are allowed to feel these emotions but know you are never alone.  

And with that, if you ever want to talk about anything in this blog or outside of this blog then you can find me over on IG @trainwithdoctormon 

If I don’t get a chance to speak to you before, Merry Christmas angels and have a Happy new year, here’s to thriving in 2025! 

Love 

Dr Mon xxx