October ends and so does the crisp freshness of Autumn. The excitement of the crunchy leaves fades into the slushy, inescapable wetness of November. You can tolerate it until Christmas – the cosiness of the festive season keeps you going. You’re okay until you count down to January 1st, shout ‘happy new year’ and wake up in (anything but) dry January. Bring on the winter blues.

Maybe you’re living in good old ‘Rathays’ where even the rodents find it too cold to stay outside. Maybe you have tons of deadlines and a tiny bedroom with no space for a desk. Maybe you’re arguing with your housemates about how regularly to turn the heating on. How can you keep up the motivation in these conditions?

The recipe to ward off the winter blues is simple: less booze, more hobbies, less screen time and a dash of self-care.

Winter Wild Swimming
This may seem like the last thing you would want to do in the freezing cold in January, but hear me out. There’s a reason why wild swimming became so popular during Covid when everyone was stuck inside. Doing the opposite of what you feel like doing in the cold will bring you back to life.

We are lucky to live so close to lovely beaches in Cardiff, and they’re not just for summer. Just ask the Dawn Stalkers who meet every morning at sunrise and swim in Penarth. Or the Barry Bluetits, who swim regularly at various spots in Barry all through the winter. Bring a hot drink, lots of layers and go with friends or a wild-swimming group.

At Cardiff University, we have our own, the ‘Wet Dippers’, who arrange regular wild swimming trips and socials to
ward off the loneliness. Join them once or twice and watch your energy levels rise.

As long as you follow safety tips like getting in slowly to avoid cold water shock, never dipping alone and paying attention to tidal patterns, cold water can reinvigorate you. You’ll find yourself laughing deliriously or feeling surprisingly alert after a series of sluggish winter days.

Crocheting
Inevitably, there will be days that you just don’t want to leave the house. This is when you are more prone to fall into the trap of doom scrolling or binge-watching Netflix. Crocheting will keep your mind healthily occupied. Not only that, you get the added bonus of creating a cosy hat, scarf or gloves to keep you warm outside. Better yet, you get bragging rights every time someone asks you where your scarf is from. “I made it,” you will say smugly.

Crocheting also offers a great brain break for when you’ve spent too long staring at your laptop. The repetitive action will distract you from your deadlines and give your eyes a well-deserved rest from the glare of the screen.

Sauna
Cardiff’s many saunas will warm you up – visit them for an exercise in self-care. There’s Taffside Sauna, a barrel sauna with a view over the Taff in Llandaff. Here you can enjoy nature without feeling the cold, get a little bit sweaty and hang out with friends somewhere other than the pub.

If you head to Barry, you can combine a wild swim with a sauna at Môr A Sawna. At this spot you can go for a dip in the sea and then warm up in the sauna. In Penarth this winter there is the Dawn Stalkers’ own Hot 2 Cold Sauna which will be open until 1 st March.

Run Clubs
Regular runners may avoid running in the winter months – the sun sets when you’ve hardly finished your lectures, and maybe you don’t fancy venturing out onto the dark paths of Bute Park alone at night. Run clubs are your best friend – there’s the Hard Lines Run Club every Thursday at 6:30 pm that starts in their café in Canton, or the Taffside Sauna run club every Friday at 6.30 pm, which has the added bonus of a post-run sauna chill.

These are great places to make friends, force yourself to get out of the house, and chase the runners high.

This is another example of the annoying advice that unfortunately really works – I know you don’t want to leave the house, but I promise you it’ll make you feel better.

Words by: Abby Neve