Many of us scoff at the so-called "winter blues" but it exists and it affects one in three older people nationally.
So, people are encouraged to get up and get out in their community to help avoid the winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which can see 42 per cent of Australians experience a reduced social life during winter, participating in less interactions than usual.
Ingenia Communities' portfolio manager residential communities Nicole Jentz said the experiences of residents in Ingenia Lifestyle communities over the last two years reinforced the benefits of staying active and maintaining social networks, even in colder months.
"Winter can be a challenge with older Australians less willing to leave their homes either due to the winter chill or the potential exposure to seasonal viruses or COVID," Ms Jentz said.
"It's entirely understandable, but it can also lead to unintentional social isolation, which can have much longer lasting health, wellbeing, and lifestyle impacts than a winter cold.
"We certainly saw some residents withdraw during the social restrictions of the pandemic. Some were just being cautious and minimising their risk of exposure, but others had a tougher time.
"Our Victorian communities in particular experienced severe lockdowns, and the hardest thing for us was having to close our much-loved social facilities.
"We know how important it is for older Aussies to have a social network, regular activities and sense of community around them.
"Our teams worked tirelessly with residents to adapt and find different ways to stay active and connected to family and friends to reduce that risk of loneliness and isolation," she said.
Among the ways found to encourage social interaction was running activities at a different time to avoid the chilliest part of the day, something Ms Jentz said anyone can do.
"In one of our communities, Friday night trivia was always popular, but with people less keen to venture out at night we made it a daytime event," Ms Jentz said.
"This simple switch brought more people out of their homes and back together, where they could catch up and check in with each other, while the trivia helped to keep their minds active and agile.
"No matter what you enjoy, consider changing up the time of day - for example, walking the dog later in the morning when things are warmer, moving your walk inside to the local shopping centre, or meeting friends for lunch instead of breakfast."
Ms Jentz said despite the cold weather, it's important for people to maintain their physical and mental health by incorporating activities into their day that can support long-term wellbeing.
"Exercising from home doesn't need to be hard, it can be as simple as taking laps of your backyard, walking up and down the stairs, dancing in your living room, or finding an online workout that suits your interests and abilities," she said.
She also encouraged people to step up their contact with older family members and friends over the winter period.
"Sometimes it only takes a simple phone or video call to brighten someone's day. Reach out and speak to your loved ones - have those hard conversations around mental health, check in and give them an opportunity to ask for help if they're struggling.
"A lot of older people won't want to tell you when they're not coping because they don't want to be seen as a burden, so it's important for loved ones to drop in or pick up the phone and really open up that dialogue," she said.