While the winter months are often filled with celebration, they’re not always entirely fun. Almost 10 million Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Commonly known as the winter blues, you may find you live with symptoms of this mental downswing as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter.
Like many forms of depression, there is no quick and simple way of addressing SAD. In most cases, it’s about finding a range of resources and activities that positively impact your personal experience. That said, some actions seem to consistently play a role in helping people navigate their winter blues.
Let’s look at a few methods you can include in your strategy to manage your seasonal depression.
Socialize Regularly
One of the risks of seasonal depression is that it can be isolating. The cold and the dark can understandably lead people to be hesitant to go to public spaces to meet with friends or travel to family events. However, this can mean that you don’t benefit from maintaining social connections that can be instrumental in supporting your mental wellness.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to attend parties or become a social butterfly. Rather, it’s about ensuring that you regularly make efforts to spend time with your close social network. This could be just a couple of close friends you meet with for coffee every week or getting some exercise together at the gym.
For some people, going into public places or being in the same physical space as others can in itself trigger anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is perfectly valid to utilize forms of socialization you’re most comfortable with. Connecting over a video call a couple of times a week or sharing online gaming sessions can be useful approaches. The key is to establish forums of mutual support consistently.
Head Outdoors
Winter is the coldest and darkest time of the year. This isn’t exactly a recipe for willingly heading out into the world. Many people prefer to cocoon themselves in a cozy corner of their home and hibernate until spring. While this can be positive in moderation, spending too much time indoors may exacerbate the symptoms of the winter blues.
It is, therefore, important to commit to spending time away from home regularly. Even something as simple as a daily walk is known to have a positive impact on physical and mental wellness. Particularly when you experience SAD, walking in nature can be invaluable for supporting quality sleep, boosting your mood, and raising your energy levels.
Nevertheless, it’s not unusual to lack the motivation to go outside in the cold weather. In this case, it can be wise to couple it with an activity or hobby you enjoy. You might benefit from doing a little gardening to protect your plants in the winter months. Perhaps you can explore a cold-weather sport, such as skiing, snowboarding, or ice skating.
Utilize Technology
Your home is likely to be one of your safe spaces. As such, it’s important to remember that not all the ways to fend off the winter blues are external methods. Rather, it’s worth exploring the tools you can use to make your home more conducive to coping with SAD. One approach to this is adopting assistive technology.
One of the most important ways to mitigate the effects of the winter blues is your choice of lighting. The lack of sunlight in the winter months is often a trigger of depression. As such, investing in a light therapy device can form part of your approach. Most of these take the form of relatively simple light boxes that mimic daylight. They’re also available in a range of sizes, from floor lamps to portable devices.
Some people living with SAD find dawn simulators effective, too. These devices sit next to your bed and replicate the natural rise of the sun each morning. This means that you start your day with a gradual elevation in full-spectrum light that you may otherwise be missing during the winter months.
As the winter sets in, it’s important to identify some measures that can help you to manage your symptoms of SAD. Making regular efforts to maintain your social connections can ensure you mitigate isolation and gain valuable support. Heading outdoors for walks and hobbies may be energizing and mood-enhancing.
It’s also worth exploring how light therapy technology can play a role in your approach. By planning a range of effective actions, you can fend off the winter blues in a healthy and sustainable way.
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