10+ Ways to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Winter Blues

Even if I don't suffer directly, it is a topic that touches my life. My husband has been battling seasonal depression since I met him ... although we recently had a name and help.

It's time to talk about it. It is a real situation. It affects more than 10 million Americans ... and still accounts for 10 to 20 percent of benign forms. It is not something that we should ignore or pretend to be something. Let's get together, talk about it and help each other. Above all, never give up.

Did you know that January has more deaths than any other month? Undoubtedly, remembering the loss of a loved one can be a very sad and sad month. We leave the best times of the holidays and now we have to get back to work, pay those bills and get back to the monotony of life. January is a real problem for many people ... but the rise in mental illness makes things worse.

It is helpful to approach each mental illness from 5 perspectives: physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual . Balancing the mind, body and soul is a very combative view of mental health. They work together, if there is a gap in one area, a reinforcement that can help balance the other.

Don't neglect the use of helpful doctors, medicines, therapies and expectations ... accept that this will never go away. If you care about someone in pain, check out this blog for more inspiring ideas .

When you suffer, you are not alone. If you love someone who is in pain, you are not alone. There are several ways to do this:

1. Sunlight!

The thing is, there is less sunlight / sunshine in the winter months, and that's mostly a factor. Getting real sunlight will help a lot. If daylight isn't enough, here are some alternatives.

Turn on a lot of light , especially since it gets dark quickly. To help simulate sunlight, we installed additional ceiling lights with daytime running lights. We are amazed at how much bright lights help the morale of the house.

Open the curtains and use as much sunlight as possible. Add table and floor lamps to main rooms to provide extra lighting when the sun goes down.


Use the Happy Light bulb or Vitamin D for 30-60 minutes every day.



Put it on your desk and set it aside for a while. Turn it on, don't look directly at it, and keep working while you work. The glow gives the impression that the sun is in the corner of the eye. This creates awareness and can cause tremors if used for a long time.

We have been using it for a few weeks and have found it useful for creating a sense of sunshine and saving hours of the day.

Dawn Simulator : Sunrise can be useful for gradually waking you up with different lighting levels. Personally I have not used any, but I have heard very good things about it.

If you have any experience in this regard, please leave an honest review in favor of others.

2. Diet

In winter, the vegetable garden usually says goodbye to fruits and vegetables. Go to grocery stores or the market regularly to buy fresh produce. Eat lots of leafy vegetables, carrots, whole fruit ... the juicier, the better!

You will give your body nutrition and vitamins and good nutrition ... and you will imitate the food you eat when the sun is shining.

Taking supplements can also be very helpful, consult your doctor for the right diet and amount. Vitamin D was great for us.

TRY

Get out of the house, get moving, start working! Of course, exercise is great for fighting depression. It's a big plus to get your heart rate up, get some fresh air, get some sun ... everything.

Take a walk. Go for a swim, the extra humidity is great! Go to the gym. Step onto the treadmill in the corner of the room.

The biggest problem I see when dealing with SAD or other depression is not being able to do what you know will help you. The general lack of motivation to get out of bed can be frightening.

Here are some helpful motivational tips: (if you have more, write a comment that might be helpful to you)

• Get out of bed and put on your running shoes right away. Once up and running, it's a great way to get yourself moving.
• To get started, start with basic exercises like calf raises, squats, and lunges.
• Walking with a dog. It's nice to have a dog that motivates you to go out in the morning.
• Find a training partner who doesn't live with you. Promise to walk with them. It's more motivating when you know someone else trusts you.
• Find a responsible friend. You may not be able to train with anyone, but you can join them and show them that you are training that day. Set a schedule and challenge each other.
• Enter the contest. There is a huge increase in self-denial after paying for a trip. Start the training and report to your responsible partner.
• Use a training program like Nike Run.
• Do an interval workout like Jeff Galloway's workout program .
• Mix up your workouts
• Buy an exercise bike and ride exotic YouTube sites.
• Get out of bed, sit on the floor and lie down
• Create a calendar of challenges and try to beat your personal best on the calendar
• When it snows, level the shovel
• Download yoga videos from YouTube
• Put on your favorite song and start dancing
• Buy a fitbit or smartwatch and start following these steps
• Create an alarm that you can't get out of bed. To get him out, get up and quickly set the bed.

Did you know that snow caves are very hot at night? Sleeping in the snow is not very pleasant, but it can be very comfortable as long as it is isolated.

4. Heavy quilt

Heavy duvets are excellent . Typically, you want 10% of your body weight. They are great for relieving stress, anxiety, calming, and helping with sleep / insomnia. My husband and kids each have weights and I love them.

They are useful for preventing the onset of anxiety, but are less useful when the anxiety is aggressive.

Push to bed and cuddle like babies. They helped my husband sleep better and have less anxiety.

A good night's sleep is important for everyone, especially people struggling with mental illness.




Escape to a tropical country!

5. Purpose / Something to look forward to

Having a goal or something you are looking forward to is very important when it comes to fighting the winter blues. Hoping for next summer is like waiting for amps to arrive. A sunny run is ideal for looking to the future.

Plan a vacation to the south for the winter months. However, if you're like us, your budget doesn't always include an exotic tropical vacation.

In addition to traveling, try some or all:

• Plan the social activities you expect. It could be a night out with friends, a book club, dinner at a nice restaurant, a birthday party, a game night, a bowling alley or a swimming pool, inviting people.
• Plan a tropical or luau vacation! Even if it's just for you, you can create a fun world by decorating with some Hawaiian ants or shells and making a fun dinner.
• Start working on those "ONE DAY WILL COME" projects. Look at your homework and do it. Tapered walls, paint repair, foundation dust, creak hinge adjustment, etc.
• Take a winter photo. Grab a macro lens for your phone and snap photos of the freshly fallen snow by drawing individual snowflakes and icy leaves. Take a photo of your home every season.

Send yourself some flowers!

6. Take care of yourself

Taking care of yourself is very important for everyone. Do things that remind you of who you are. It's easy to put your favorite things aside for the monotony of life (work, school, homework, sleep, eat, repeat). Do things that make you happy.

Learn some new hobbies: crafts (lots of great craft ideas here) , baking, learning, chain mail, audio cassettes / books, listening to music, mechanics, video games, face masks, running, whipping, bird watching, volunteering, calligraphy , photography, quilt, blacksmith, dance, knitting, hot chocolate - (trust me it's a hobby), nail painting, reading, handwriting, massage, hair straightening, little hunting!

Take some time to rediscover who you are and find things that bring you joy. Take a class at a local recreation center or search your library for current lessons ... wonderful things always happen in my library. Find a partner and learn new skills.

7. Essential oils, candles, aromatherapy

I love essential oils. My favorite perfume is the magic oil for me. It is good to help with anger and anxiety. Put a drop on the heart and rub. It smells delicious and instantly calms you.

I've tried it several times and I'm 100% sure of it. I applied it to a panicked man and an angry child and they both calmed down instantly.

There are many different oils and companies. I'm not loyal to anyone ... and I'm on a very tight budget, so spending $ 60 on a 5ml bottle of incense is out of my power. Here is one I use and like:



Lighting candles is also useful for several reasons! When scented, the scent will help enhance your senses and create warmth from the glowing glow of the fire.

Aromatherapy is a great way to freshen up the space, add clear aromas, and create extraordinary sensory experiences. Get an essential oil dispenser and a set of essential oils and see what a difference it can make.

I like to fill my home with spruce, sweet oranges, mint and frankincense, as I said earlier.

8. Heat

It is important to stay warm in the winter. My husband can no longer control the temperature, it is always cold and he has difficulty warming up, which makes winter worse.

We worked hard to make sure it was warm. If he winters comfortably, we don't worry about the increase in electricity / gas bills.

So, above all, a warm home. We use the main heating for home heating. We have installed a wood burning fireplace in our basement to help with additional and emergency heating. An efficient fireplace is also very nice. We have small radiators for special heating needs.

Electric blankets are great for the cold winter months ... there are also electric running shoes and warm pads that work great. About half an hour before going to bed, put an electric blanket under the sheet and turn it on.




More hot ideas:

• Lighted candles
• hot water bottle
• hand warmers
• Take a hot bath or shower
• Flammable lamps (provide LED light that only burns like a fire, but does not heat up ... good placebo)
• Cold weather clothing (make sure it keeps you warm outside; coat, snow pants, wool socks, gloves / mittens, etc.)
• Indoor cold weather equipment (wool pants, slippers, warm socks, hats, sweatshirts, hats, knitted gloves, chair warmers)
• Drink something hot (I'm in favor of hot chocolate, but drinking hot water will also help keep you warm inside)
• Use a moisturizer (adding extra moisture to the air around the house will improve breast health, as well as help remove heat from the house and make it last longer)
• Do hot yoga! They heat up the studio to around 105 *, which works wonders with deep stretches.

9. Table

Having a routine and following it is important for your overall health and mental health. Going to bed and waking up early is the important first step. How much sleep do you need to work well?

The answer will be different for everyone. My husband takes about 4 hours and I 9 hours.

I am very sorry for all those who suffer from insomnia. I have never had insomnia or sleep problems, but I know how important it is for me to get enough sleep, otherwise I am very sad. Another part of planning is prioritizing the work to be done.

Instead of making a to-do list that you can only partially complete and then embarrass yourself for not doing it ... Create a Ta-Da To-Do List! Take note of what you have learned from the process.

Get up early in the morning and make your bed. This will do a few things: 1, it makes getting back to bed difficult. 2, it helps to accomplish something from the beginning. And 3, make your mother happy. Boem - Ta-da!

In what other ways does the calendar help you? Please leave helpful comments below so we can all benefit from it.

When it comes to priorities, check how much media is being used during the day. It might be helpful to cut down on some screen or social media time. There are many studies on depression and on social networks, so it's not harmful to immediately limit it. Set a timer and exit support when the time is up.

While watching movies and shows is fun and mentally rewarding, it also has its limitations. Don't look at everything and threaten. Set limits, watch an episode or two every night, and cheer for the next day!

10. Spirituality

Spirituality can be expressed in several ways. This nursing section allows you to go a little further than yourself. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others," said Mahatma Gandhi.

As we take time to serve others, we forget about ourselves for a moment. Go out and serve others. ( Here is a list of 101 ways to serve others .)

Another good way to focus spiritually is to write in a journal. Keeping a journal is extremely healing. We can simply express our feelings, emotions and daily events. It takes away our feelings and gives us a safe place to express them. Keeping a thank you note is also very useful.

Try it: grab a blank calendar right away and write down 3 events that happened that day that you are grateful for each day. It's an easy way to start counting blessings. In 21 days you will see significant changes in the way you see the world around you. It works, it really works!

It is wonderful to read your book of faith. I highly recommend reading the Book of Mormon , there are many things you will hear and gain from reading it. Take some time to learn and reflect on things that are deeper than the monotony of life.

Spend time outside. Spend time voluntarily. Read to the children at your local school or library. donate blood. Help your local food bank list your donations.

11. Have fun with winter activities!

A love of winter activities is very helpful in fighting the Winterblues. If there's something calling your name, you'll want to get out.

Have you ever been ice fishing, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, pavement, home camping, snow caving, hiking, ice licking, cross country skiing, winter photos ...

What activities do you like to do outdoors in winter?

Husband, @ChaseBurch is a professional snow athlete and takes great photos. Follow her on Instagram for more natural inspiration.

Like, tag and share!

We hope these 10+ ways will help you or your loved ones cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you can't afford it, talk to someone and seek professional help.

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