Winter wellbeing - get yours with a daily dose of happiness

Dark winter nights are drawing in, and end-of-year fatigue might be cropping up for you and your team. The change in seasons can have a negative impact on winter wellbeing, especially if you are one of the 2 million UK people who struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). If this sounds like you, then read on to find out about one of the key Laughology mantras – the Daily Dose.

At Laughology, the Daily Dose is the foundation of everything we do - and no, it’s not a cocktail of illegal drugs! What’s even better is that getting your Daily Dose is free and available to everyone.

When we talk about your Daily Dose, we’re talking about our happy hormones. In a world where it can often feel like things are beyond our control, taking charge and committing to a daily dose of happiness habit is something positive we can all do for our winter wellbeing.

What are these daily dose happy hormones, and what do they do?

1. Dopamine is our motivation hormone. When it’s flowing, it helps us get out of bed, reach our goals and fuels determination.
2. Oxytocin - sometimes called the “love” hormone, it can reduce blood pressure and anxiety.
3. Serotonin - this happy hormone helps us with sleep, appetite, learning and mood.
4. Endorphins - the body’s natural painkiller, released in response to pain or stress but also during exercise, which explains the post-run high.

What can you do each day to get your dose of happy hormones?

Here are some tips to get your daily dose of happy hormones:

1. Make time to celebrate successes in your team
2. Meditation.
3. Write a gratitude list.
4. Watching some comedy or sharing a funny story
5. Exercise, anything from walking, running, dancing to weightlifting, whatever takes your fancy, just move your body.

When we are accountable for our habits, it helps us stick to them, so why not introduce the Daily Dose to team conversations and ask your team members how they’re getting theirs?

Even better, why not create a Daily Dose team habit, promoting team bonding and helping the oxytocin flow?

Daily Dose ideas for your team

Try taking your meetings outside the office. Walking meetings help to get your team out of the office, and exercise fuels creativity and helps people feel motivated. If team members are hybrid, that’s no problem! Go old school and get on your phones - walk and talk so everyone feels included.

You also need to make time to connect, so try talking about something important to you. Or, if that feels too hard to start with, share a funny video. And if you’re ready to really try something new, you could even have a team group hug - with everyone’s permission, of course!

When we take care of our mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, it has a positive impact on the way we communicate as well as our resilience. It can also act as a ripple of positive energy to those around us. So, with that in mind, what will you do today to get your Daily Dose - individually and as part of your team?

If you would like to know more about Daily Dose and how it can support you and your team with resilience and winter wellbeing, contact the wonderful Doug - doug@laughology.co.uk -  and why not ask him how he gets his?

Louisa Rodriguez’s always-up-for-adventure-and-challenge-attitude once resulted in finding herself in Argentina as a contestant on the former BBC show ‘Total Wipeout’. She’s driven by a passion for helping others to be the best version of themselves and has over 15 years of experience working with people from all walks of life. With specialisms in cultural change, performance coaching and mental health, Louisa is the perfect member of the Laughology team.