With Storm Isha taking over the UK this week, many Brits will be feeling the ‘Winter Blues’ in a more intense way. We know that this time of year is often cold and dark, but storms that affect travel and the ability to leave the home safely can impact our mental health, especially if we’re already experiencing low moods.

To help those struggling this week, Best Apprenticeships has teamed up with Clinical Psychologist Dr Joanne Porter, who has used her 23 years of clinical experience to share tips on how to manage winter blues during a storm, so Brits can continue to feel confident going to work, school and living their day-to-day life as normal.

Dr Joanne Porter shares exclusively with Best Apprenticeships why low moods can occur during storms, stating: “Winter blues (low mood, lack of energy and motivation), are experienced by many people and tend to last a few weeks. Lots of factors can underlie these feelings, including shorter periods of daylight and overcast and rainy days.

You probably can’t ‘beat’ the winter blues but recognising that they are there and ‘normal’ can help you to work with them.”

Sharing her key tips, Dr Porter suggests trying out a variety of things to keep our minds healthy enough for us to continue day to day activities like attending work or school: “Nutrition and activity are known predictors of positive mental wellbeing, so keep active [indoors] and gradually increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.

Poor sleep also negatively affects mood. Good sleep positively impacts mood, so make sure you are getting enough sleep.

Negative thinking can make people feel low. Record three good things at the end of each day to balance out any negative thoughts you have about yourself or your situation.”

Lastly, Dr Porter advises planning things into your diary for when the bad weather ends, sharing that “Evidence shows that having something to look forward to can also increase wellbeing, so start planning your next fun thing.”