Don't chill out this winter: be active, social and immunised

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Follow these tips to be happy and healthy this winter. Picture Shutterstock

If you haven't prepared for winter already, now is the time. While we may not be collecting nuts or making a den to hibernate in like some of the animal kingdom or chopping firewood as some people do expecting to spend months covered in snow, there are a number of things you can do to stay warm and healthy, both physically and mentally.

Get your flu shot

The Australian government's Department of Health and Aged Care points out the annual influenza vaccine is free through the National Immunisation Program for all adults 65 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, and people with specific medical conditions.

It's also inexpensive and important for everyone else. Timing matters, too. Bupa Health Services medical director Dr Tony MacDermott said the flu season has been arriving earlier in recent years. "We expect it to peak sometime in June, compared to August when the season peaked in years gone by," Dr MacDermott said.

When booking yours, note there are different flu shots for different age brackets: six months to under five years, five years to under 65, and 65 and over.

Maintain temperature

The most efficient way to stay warm is directly on the body. For instance, an electric blanket (to warm the bed initially), proper attire (including a nightcap or beanie) and good covers are far cheaper than room heaters.

Now, you can't stay in bed all day, but most people could go to bed earlier and make the most use of daylight hours. You can then aim to spend more time in a sunlit part of the house but also get outside as often as the weather allows.

Another trick is showering or bathing at a time of day when the bathroom doesn't need as much, or any, heating.

Physical activity helps your body stay warm, too. It doesn't have to be strenuous; any movement is better than remaining still.

Get active and outdoors

Research led by Australia's Monash University found that living in areas with shorter distances to greenspace (and with lower crime rates where people feel safer going outside) is associated with having fewer modifiable dementia risk factors.

"Living close to greenspace may encourage or permit people to exercise more - for example, walk or run - and also socialise - for example, talk with locals in a park," Associate Professor Matthew Pase, senior author of the paper published on the subject, said. "It may also limit environmental stressors such as air pollution and noise."

Remembering to be physically and socially active will be good for your mental and physical health in the short term, too.

Stay connected

Another way to socialise is to join any local group or club that interests you. Volunteering or otherwise being involved will mean having regular contact with other local people who are nice enough to give their time to something, or have similar interests to you, or both. You can also look into other community organisations which encourage your attendance or participation.

Monash University is currently leading a research project to assess and address social isolation and loneliness among older Australians.

"We know that socialising helps our health, wellbeing and quality of life," technology and ageing sociologist Dr Barbara Barbosa Neves said.

When announcing the project, the university also said that while face-to-face interactions are important, we shouldn't underestimate the significance of a phone call, chatting online, or even the good old-fashioned method of writing letters.

Don't be shy about contacting a counselling service, either. They can be really helpful if something is getting you down.