Health Information Week 2025: Day One

Published Date: 20th January 2025

The theme for the first day of this year’s Health Information Week is Winter Health. Along with the HIW team, we have put together a list of online resources and materials to help you through the cold, dark months.

The list includes links to materials on Winter illnesses, keeping warm in winter, mental health and wellbeing, keeping active in Winter, and some relevant apps to try. There are also some links to resources in alternative formats for those who need them.

Click here for the pdf version of the list, or see below:

Winter Health Resources List

Winter Illnesses

• Age UK - Winter Health - Ways to Keep Well this Winter
• Age UK - Illnesses caused by cold weather
• Asthma + Lung UK - Cold weather and your lungs
• British Heart Foundation - 5 ways to stay healthy in winter
• NHS - Seasonal Vaccinations and Winter Health
• Royal Voluntary Service - Winter Ailments
• Royal Voluntary Service - Eating Well​​​​​​​
• The Met Office – How cold weather affects your health​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Wellbeing Hub (Intranet page) – Winter Wellness ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Keeping Warm this Winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• Age UK - How to Keep Warm in Winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• British Heart Foundation - Winter wellness: how to keep healthy and warm ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS: Together We Can - Winter protection​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Red Cross - How to keep warm this winter: cost-effective tips​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Royal Voluntary Service - Stay Safe, Warm, and Well​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Royal Voluntary Service - Preparing your home for winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Mental Health & Wellbeing

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - Seasonal affective disorder: Tips on how to cope with SAD this winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): What therapy can help with​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• MIND - Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Self care​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• MIND: Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow - How to stay positive during winter
• MIND: Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow - What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
• Mindwell - MindWell’s top 10 tips for winter wellbeing​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS - Mindfulness ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Red Cross - Wellbeing Support​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Royal College of Psychiatrists - Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Scottish Action for Mental Health - Protecting your wellbeing during the winter months​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• The Met Office - Looking after your mental health through the winter ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Keeping Active this Winter

• AXA Health - Benefits & tips for exercising outdoors
• Breast Cancer UK - How to stay active during the colder months​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• British Heart Foundation - 3 tips to help you keep fit in winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• British Heart Foundation - How to get active indoors​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS - Walking for health​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Nuffield Health - The right way to exercise in winter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Apps

• Calm – app for sleep, meditation and relaxation. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Headspace – Headspace is a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation, providing unique tools and resources to help reduce stress, build resilience, and aid better sleep. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• MyPossibleSelf: Mental Health - access to the best toolkits available to improve your mind; includes interactive tools and coping strategies, using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), customised for digital use. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS Active 10 - records every minute of walking you do, tracking your steps, helps you set goals and shows your achievements. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS App – The NHS App gives you a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your phone. You can view your health record, including test results, request repeat prescriptions and book appointments. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS Couch to 5K - A running programme for beginners to help you get started with running. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• Sorted: Mental Health – accredited by NHS digital - a mark of its effectiveness, safety and good function. Easy to use, the audio modules uniquely combine applied relaxation with goal-focused visualisations derived from the latest neuroscience and sports coaching methods. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• The Mindfulness App – Enjoy a more restful sleep, stress less, and reduce your anxiety together with over 350 guided meditations. Available for Android devices and Apple devices.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Advice in alternative formats

• Age UK - Staying well this winter (Video)
• NHS - Advice on how to stay well this winter (audio)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS - Mental wellbeing audio guides​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• NHS - Stay Well This Winter (Large print version; audio, British Sign Language, Braille, Easy Read)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​