Beating the Winter Blues

  I don’t know about you, but winter always does a number on me. The older I get, the worst it has gotten. I often tell my loved ones I am like a sunflower in that I feel happier in the summertime, and my sleep patterns follow the sun. So, when November rolls around and daylights savings time ends, my energy and mood immediately dips. Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) is defined as having a low mood, increased sleep and tiredness, issues with concentration, irritability, and less desire to spend time with others. SAD symptoms can last days, weeks or even months. It can feel counter-intuitive to take action when you don’t feel like you have the energy to do anything. But I can assure you that if you take action, you’ll feel better than if you had not.  
  One activity that can be helpful includes physical movement such as dance, yoga, or walking indoors. Physical movement releases the feel-good hormone serotonin. Serotonin is often found in anti-depressant medications. So, physical movement is a natural anti-depressant that you can do throughout the week. While we’re talking about the physical, healthy eating (getting plenty of water, veggies and fruits) is another body-focused activity you can do. When we eat better, we naturally feel better.
  It can feel counter-intuitive but time with loved ones is another option that can have big results. When we spend time with loved ones, we get a boost of oxytocin (love hormone) that helps us to feeling better. So the more time you spend with loved ones, the less alone and sad you may feel while trying to manage SAD symptoms.
  Another important hormone, Vitamin D, gets released when we spend time soaking up sunlight. The more natural light, the better we can feel in late fall and winter because sunlight triggers the release of the vitamin D hormone, which in turn reduces feelings of depression. Please check out and purchase a sun lamp that you can use on gray days as an alternative to natural sunlight.
  It probably goes without saying but you can also follow up with your primary care physician for medication management as well. There are many medications that treat symptoms of SAD and depression. Another option is psychotherapy. I am partial, in that I am a psychotherapist, and I always recommend therapy to feel better too.
  What’s one SAD management technique you can try today?

Image courtesy of Unsplash/Aaron Wilson