Wilson's School

Winter Wellbeing - a personal perspective


A bit of footie can go a long way

This term is always one full of excitement and apprehension, from the Year 7 pupils who embark on their secondary schooling to the Year 13 students who submit their UCAS applications to prospective universities. Not forgetting the rest of us who have to face the dark and cold of a British winter and engage with the longest term of the academic year. So the upcoming Christmas holidays are a definitely time for all of us to take a well-earned break. However, as tempting as it may be to slouch on the sofa and binge-watch your favourite series for the fiftieth time, I urge you not to fall into this trap of idleness! While I too have struggled with this desire to sit around and do nothing all day, after research I have now come to the conclusion that one of the best things we can do for our mental health and wellbeing during the extensive free time we have during Christmas is physical exercise.

Firstly, physical exercise can reduce the level of stress hormones (cortisol) in your blood and exercise promotes the release of natural stress relievers called endorphins.  Your lower stress levels can then lead to you to being happier and more relaxed. As well as this, physical activity increases serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine levels - all of which are neurotransmitters associated with happiness and motivation. Exercise therefore helps with your mental health as you tend to enjoy the little things more, which improves your mood. Physical exercise can also help to raise your self-esteem as you can choose to work towards certain accomplishments such as achieving a personal best when running, or simply just feeling happy with the knowledge that you are making yourself healthier.

The main message to take from this is that physical exercise can be amazing for your mental and physical wellbeing, and by engaging in exercise over the holidays you can potentially cultivate a love for any form of exercise you take up and carry this habit into next term. This could have massive benefits for your overall wellbeing, maximising your enjoyment of the next school term. So, during the Christmas holidays, whenever you feel like you’ve been sitting down at your laptop or in front on the TV for a bit too long, take the initiative and go for a jog or invite friends for a game of football. The evidence suggests this may be the best way to prepare mentally and physically for the New Year!

Written by Adhvaith (Year 12)