It’s that time of the year again… turning our clocks back one hour. Losing an hour of day light may not seem like a big deal to some, while to others, it’s the onset of the winter blues, better known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD affects around 10 million adults each year in the U.S. alone and women are affected four times more often than men.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, usually in late fall and winter, and may include symptoms such as oversleeping, over eating, feelings of sadness or depression, hopelessness, loss of interest in normal activities, irritability, increased fatigue, decreased socialization, and thoughts of suicide.
The older I get, I too suffer from SAD, especially once the holiday season is over. Not all is hopeless though. We may not have control over the time change or the seasons, but we can control our environment. Here are some things you can do to alleviate your blues during these dark and cold months:
- Spend more time outdoors during the day.
- Get up early with the sunrise
- Leave your window treatments open to see the sunlight during the day
- Keep your lights on in the evening
- Move your body (even 10-15 minutes can improve your mood)
- Spend time with your friends
- Get enough sleep
- Sign up for a class or learn a new hobby
- Practice relaxation techniques (meditate, yoga, massage)
- Eat a healthy diet (eat your fruit and veggies and drink plenty of water)
- Start a gratitude journal to help you focus on all the positives around you
- Day dream about a beach vacation (my favorite)
- Talk to your doctor about supplementing with Vitamin D or using Light Therapy
Everyone has good and bad days. Everyone has high and low moods, however, if you have more low moods than not and it’s causing an interruption in your daily life, then you may need to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional for help. You can find me at www.wholeisticyou.com or reach me by email at hello@wholeisticyou.com.