Although the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens just before Christmas, for me and millions of other people, the darkest days of the year arrive a few weeks later, in January. We suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or the milder version, “Winter Blues”. The lack of sunlight in the winter months triggers sadness, fatigue, sleepiness, lack of motivation, and depression.
The best advice I give myself in January is to take care of
my mental health. I pray and practice gratitude and mindfulness daily. I try hard
to eat healthy foods, get regular sleep and exercise regularly. Whenever
possible, I spend time outdoors in natural daylight and take walks in the
woods. I use a sunrise alarm to help my body’s sleep cycle normalize. During days
without sunshine, I spend half an hour reading in front of a 10,000 lux
full-spectrum light to fight off the brain fog that threatens to move in.
My husband, Chuck, is my trusted support person who lets me
know if he sees signs I may need to talk to my doctor about increasing
medication. Depression is a sneaky illness that sufferers my not realize is
getting worse. Having someone you trust be honest with you is vital!
Other strategies that help lift me up:
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| MUTTS AND MISTLETOE |
- Avoid sad, scary or negative entertainment options (TV, books, movies, video games).
- Seek out uplifting, funny, satisfying options. (I have a hilarious Holiday book that I read every year, Mutts and Mistletoe. I watch Hallmark and Disney movies lot. This year we’re watching a favorite TV comedy series we haven’t seen in years, Psych).
- Spend more time around other people. (Take your book to a coffee shop, for instance).
- Don’t avoid friends and family gatherings. Instead, ask yourself to anticipate how much you’ll enjoy yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. Write it down. After the event, rate how much you actually enjoyed yourself. Chances are, you will have more fun than you expect.
- Volunteer. Service to others can be very uplifting.
- If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a counselor. You’ll be surprised how much they can help.
If you take care of your mental health as best you can and
cut yourself some slack, you’ll find what helps you and you’ll make it through! ~ Sarah
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing about SAD. Your tips are good ones to consider even if one doesn't have seasonal affective disorder diagnosis.
Interesting subject. Thanks for shining a light on this seasonal condition.
Hope your sunrise alarm clock helps you!
Excellent advice, Sarah. This time of year can be challenging.
Thank you for stopping by, Judith. You're right, those tips can help anyone feeling down.
Thank you, Diana. I have a new sunrise clock withlots of bells and whistles that I don't need, but I finally figured out how to use the settings and it is helping.
Living in Alaska, I'm sure you are familiar with Seasonal Affective Disorder, Lynn. Your days are shorter than mine this time of year!
Another Genre-ista, Barbara Binns, has posted in the past about her own struggles with SAD in Chicago. Thanks for stopping by!
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