Let’s face it, for many of us, winter FREAKING SUCKS! It makes me a little stir crazy, and I end up losing my mind towards the end of it, hence that photo on the far right. Jokes aside, winter can be a really rough season for people, especially if they’re affected by S.A.D. otherwise known as the winter blues. For those of you who don’t know, S.A.D. stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it affects tons of people, myself included.
What is S.A.D?
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a depression linked to the change in seasons. Most commonly, people tend to be more affected during the late fall and winter. This is due to the lack of light we have during the day. You’ll probably notice that you feel tired, gain weight, feel unhappy, moody, and just downright blah. It’s not fun!
How do I get through it?
Sometimes it takes medication; sometimes it’s not as severe. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what works best for me. Hopefully, some of the options I mention can help you!
Tools you can use to help your winter blues
Seasonal affective disorder is mental, there are some tools you can get to help you during this time. These are three things I swear by when the winter blues kick in!
- Take vitamin D supplements – Did you know you’re probably lacking in vitamin d? Neither did I until I started taking supplements! Once the days get shorter, I start taking one daily and it’ not only helps improve my mood but my sleep patterns as well! Please be sure to consult your doctor before taking any kind of supplements!
- Get a light therapy lamp– Another good way to combat S.A.D. is with these light-therapy lamps. They mimic sunlight and can drastically improve your mood, motivation, and energy levels.
- Get a light alarm clock– Waking up when it’s dark outside is honestly the worst! This type of alarm clock slowly wakes you up by emitting light! I have the Phillips Wake-up Light and I swear by it! It even mimics a sunset when you want to go to bed!
Taking care of yourself
I find this to be the biggest help, and I know it’s not going to be a popular opinion, but you need to exercise. You need to! Let me quote the brilliant Elle Woods:
“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”
She’s not wrong. In the long winter months, you’re going to need those endorphins. Along with exercising, you need to eat right. I struggle with this one pretty bad and I’m still working on it. I know we’re all cold and want nothing but fatty comfort food, but eating junk is only going to make you feel sluggish. Eat those veggies folks!
Get on a schedule
It’s also important to get on a schedule! Create a morning routine and a night time routine. Try to eat lunch at the same time every day. If you can try to make the most out of the sunlight we DO get during the day.
Get cozy
This is what winters are for! I have a winter night routine. I like to take a hot bath/ or shower, put my coziest pj’s on, turn on the fairy lights, and make a cup of tea. Then I’d sit on my sofa, curl up with Schatzie, and watch a movie or a bit of tv. Another thing that makes me cozy is turning on a fireplace. I don’t actually own one, but I have plenty of apps that turn my laptop and tv into one.
Trick your mind
This is something that I learned from my best friend, Erika when we were in high school. We were sick of winter, and feeling restless when she came up with “Operation Summer”. She planned to do one summery thing a day for a month. I don’t remember much of them, but the one thing that stuck with me was to light a summer scented candle. If you know me, you’ll know that I am a huge candle hoarder. I have tons of summer candles! Guess what guys, it actually helps!
Be social
I know we’re limited to what we’re allowed to do these days, but you need to make plans with people. Even if it’s just a skype call! It gives you something to look forward to. There are plenty of games you and your friends can play together online too!
Indoor activities
This kind of goes with being social, but plan some indoor activities (If it is safe to do so where you live)! Go to museums, drive around and look at all the Christmas lights, go bowling. If you really put your minds together, you can always find something to do. This works for staying home too. What do you like to do in your free time? Paint, write, play games, read books. Keep yourself occupied!
Outdoor activities
You may not love the cold, but getting outside and enjoying winter can really help! Go for a walk, build a snowman, go iceskating! Winter really isn’t that bad as long as you dress appropriately for it! Enjoy the season while it lasts.
I hope you found this helpful! These are all methods that work for me. If you’re also looking to up your dose of positivity, go check out my post on my 5 Ways To Be More Positive. If you liked this post, please feel free to share it with a friend or pin it on Pinterest using the images below!
xo Little J
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