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

It's a topic that has touched my life, even if I don't suffer directly from it. My husband has been fighting SAD for as long as I know him ... although only recently did we get a name and help.

It's time to talk about it. It is a real situation. It affects more than 10 million Americans ... and a further 10-20% have mild forms. It's not something we should ignore or pretend it isn't. Let's talk together and help each other. The important thing is to never give up.

Did you know that January has more deaths than any other month? Of course, this month can be very sad and depressing as we remember the loss of our loved ones. We are coming down from the peak 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 is making things worse.

Beneficial approach to each mental illness from five perspectives: physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual . Creating balance between mind, body and soul is a martial arts affair for mental health. They work together when one area has a deficit that strengthening can help balance the others.

Don't neglect doctors, medications, therapy and hospitality ... accept that they never leave. If you're caring for a sick person, check out this blog for more inspiring ideas .

If you are suffering, you are not alone. If you love someone who is in pain, you are not alone. Here are some ways to handle it:

1. Die!

The fact is that during the winter months there is less daylight / sunlight and this is mainly a factor. Getting real sunlight will help a lot. Here are some options if daylight isn't enough.

Turn on a lot of light , especially if it gets dark so early. We installed additional ceiling lights with daytime running lights to simulate sunlight. It's amazing how bright lighting contributes to home morale.

Open the curtains and make the most of the daylight. Add tablecloths and floor lamps in the main rooms to add extra light at sunset.


Use a Happy Light or Vitamin D vial for 30-60 minutes per day.



Put it on the table and a little further on. Turn it on, don't look directly and keep working until it's turned on. The twinkle makes it look like the sun is out of the corner of your eye. Creates increased attention and can cause irritation with prolonged use.

We have been using it for a few weeks and have found that it helps create sun and summer.

Sunrise simulator : The sunrise alarm can be useful for gradually waking up with varying degrees of illumination. Personally, I didn't like any of them, but I've certainly heard of them.

If you have experience with them, please leave an honest review for the benefit of others.

2. Diet

Winter time usually says goodbye to fruit and vegetables from the garden. Go to the supermarket or market regularly to buy fresh produce. Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, carrots, a variety of fruits ... the juicier, the better!

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

Taking supplements can also be very helpful, talk to your doctor about the right diet and the right amount. Vitamin D helped a lot.

3. Exercise

Get out of the house, move, move! It is true that exercise is a great help in the fight against depression. Increased heart rate, fresh air breathing, sunlight - all this is a big plus.

Take a walk. Swim, the extra moisture is great! Go to the gym. Get on the treadmill in the corner of the room.

The biggest problem I have with dealing with ATS or other depressions is that I can't do what you know will help. A complete lack of motivation to even get out of bed can be daunting.

Here are some helpful motivational tips: (if you have others, leave a comment, we can all win)

• Get out of bed and put on your sneakers right away. Once turned on, they are a great way to get you moving.
• Start with basic exercises like calf raises, squats, and lunges.
• Shetis's 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. You decide to play with them. Much more motivating when you know someone is counting on you.
• Find a responsible friend. You may not be able to train with someone, but you can contact them and tell them that you trained that day. Set a schedule and challenge each other.
• Enter the contest. Once you pay for the ride, the engagement has increased dramatically. Start training and consult with your partner.
• Use a training app like Nike Run.
• Do interval training like Jeff Galloway's "Workout Schedule".
• Mix up your workouts
• Buy a writing bike and ride exotic places on YouTube.
• Get out of bed, sit on the floor and lie down
• Create a problem board and try to beat your personal best in a single board.
• Lower the sidewalks when it snows
• Make a yoga video on youtube
• Turn on your favorite song and start dancing
• Buy a Fitbit or smartwatch and start following these steps.
• Set an alarm that you can't get out of bed. Get up to remove it and quickly fix the bed.

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

4. Weighted blankets

Weighted blankets are great. You usually want it to be 10% of your body weight. Perfectly relieve stress, anxiety, soothe, help fall asleep / insomnia. My husband and each of my children have a thick blanket and love it.

They help prevent anxiety, but are less useful if the anxiety attack continues.

Hold on to the bed and hold yourself tight like a baby. They helped my husband sleep better and worry less.

Sleeping well is important for everyone, especially for people struggling with mental illness.




Let's go somewhere in the tropics!

5. Aim / Expect something

To switch to a winter blouse, it is important to have a goal or expect something. Hoping for summer is like waiting for reinforcements to arrive. A sunny pastime is to be expected.

Plan your vacation in the south for the winter months. However, if you're anything like us, the budget doesn't always allow you to relax in the exotic tropics.

In addition to traveling, try some or all of the following:

• Plan the social activities you expect. It could be a night with friends, a book club, a dinner at a good restaurant, a birthday party, a game night, a bowling alley or a swimming pool, to invite people over.
• Host a tropical or luau vacation! Even if it's just for you, decorating with a little Hawaiian garland or seashells and a fun dinner can benefit the world.
• Start working on "Once I Reach" projects. Look around the house to find out what to do and what to do. Coat the walls, touch up the paint, vacuum the baseboards, adjust the creaks and more.
• Take winter photos. Get a macro lens for your phone and take photos of fresh snow, single snowflakes, and frozen leaves. Take pictures of your home at any time of the year.

Give yourself some flowers!

6. Take care of yourself

Self-care is very important to everyone. Do things that remind you of who you are. It's easy to put off favorite occupations in the name of the monotony of life (work, school, housekeeping, dreams, food, repetition). Do what makes you happy.

Get new hobbies: crafts (there are many great ideas for crafts) , pastry, leather goods, chain mail, recorders / scripts recorded with audio, listening to music, mechanics, video games, acne masks, running, whipping, birds watching, volunteering, calligraphy, photography, quilting, blacksmithing, dancing, knitting / crocheting, hot chocolate (trust me, it's a hobby), nail polish, reading, writing, massage, haircut, stroking a puppy!

Take the time to rebuild yourself and find something that brings you joy. Sign up for classes at your local recreation center or check out current classes in your library ... there's always something interesting in my library. Find a friend and learn new skills.

7. Essential oils, candles, aromatherapy

I love essential oils. Frankincense is my favorite, for me it is a magical oil. It helps a lot with anger and anxiety. Apply a drop on the heart and grind. It smells good and calms down immediately.

I have tested it constantly and believe in it 100%. I used it for a panicked husband and angry child and they calmed down instantly.

The fact is, there are a lot of different oils and companies out there. I'm not loyal to anyone ... and I'm on a pretty tight budget, so spending $ 60 on a 5ml bottle of incense can't control. Here is what I used and what I want:



Lighting candles is useful for several reasons! When fragrant, the fragrance will help heighten your senses and the fire will warm you with its radiant glow.

Aromatherapy is a great way to freshen up a space, add some fragrance to nature, and create amazing sensual impressions. Get an essential oil dispenser and a complete essential oil base and watch the changes it can make.

I love to fill my home with a silver Christmas tree, sweet oranges, mint and, as mentioned before, frankincense.

8. Heat

In winter, it is very important to be warm. My husband can't control the temperature anymore, so it's always cold and he has a hard time warming up, which makes winter the worst.

We went out of our way to keep it warm. We are not interested in increasing our electricity / gas bills until he can comfortably survive the winter.

So first, a warm home. For the heating of the house we use a normal radiator. We have installed a wood stove in our basement to help with emergency and backup heating. Efficient fireplaces are also very good. We have small radiators for specific heating needs.

Electric blankets are perfect for the cold winter months ... there are also electric slippers and food warmers that work very well. Put an electric blanket under the sheet on the bed and turn it on about half an hour before bed.




More hot ideas:

• light the candles
• Heating pots
• hand warmers
• Take a hot bath or shower
• Flaming lamps (only offer to flash the LED light, which glows like fire but doesn't heat up ... a great placebo anyway)
• Clothing for the cold season (bring something to keep warm outside: coats, winter pants, wool socks, tuques, gloves / mittens, etc.)
• Cold weather appliances (pants, slippers, warm socks, sweatshirt, sweatshirt, hats, knitted gloves, chair warmers)
• Have a drink hot (I'm a hot chocolate fan, but hot water will also help keep you warm inside)
• Use a humidifier (additional humidification around the house will improve breast health and will also help warm the heat in the house and keep it there longer)
• Do hot yoga! They heat up the studio to around 105 *, with a deep stretch it works wonders.

9 hours

Having and maintaining a regular schedule is really important for mental health and overall health. Going to bed and waking up on time is the important first step. How much sleep do you need to function well?

The answer for everyone will be different. My husband needs about 4 hours of sleep and I need 9.

I have pity on those who suffer from insomnia. I have never had sleep deprivation or sleep problems, but I know how important it is for me to sleep, otherwise I am very upset. The other part of the program is to prioritize what needs to be done.

Instead of making a simple to-do list that you can only partially complete, be ashamed not to complete it ... create a to-do list! Write what you did.

Get up in the morning and make your bed. This will do several things: 1. Make getting back to bed harder. 2, help you do something from the beginning. And 3, make your mother happy. Boom-ta-da!

How else does the calendar help you? Please leave helpful comments below so we can all benefit from it.

When it comes to priorities, consider how much time a day you spend in the media. It can help reduce screen time or social media. There is a lot of research on depression and social media, so it's not harmful to limit them for now. Set a timer and turn off the media when the time is up.

While watching movies and TV shows can be fun and rewarding for your mental health, limit them. Don't be embarrassed to see everything. Set limits, watch a show or two every night, and you'll have something to do the next day!

10. Spirituality

Spirituality can manifest itself in several ways. This healing element gives you the opportunity to go a little further than yourself. "The best way to find yourself is to dedicate yourself to the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi

When we find time to serve others, we forget ourselves for a moment. Go serve others. ( Here is a list of 101 ways to serve others .)

Another great way to focus on the spiritual is to keep a journal. The reporter is extremely healing. We can simply express our emotions, our feelings and our daily events. It relieves those feelings and gives us a safe place to express them. It is also very helpful to keep a thank you note.

Try it this way: Take the current blank calendar and write down 3 events that happened that day that you are grateful for every day. It's an easy way to start counting those blessings. In 21 days you will see noticeable changes in the way you see the world around you. It works, it really works!

Reading your book of faith is wonderful. I highly recommend reading the Book of Mormon , it has something to feel and feel while reading. Take the time to explore and reflect on things deeper than the monotony of life.

Spend time outside. Take the time to volunteer. Read to the children at your local school or library. Donate blood. Help sort out donations to your local food bank.

11. I love the pleasures of winter!

The love of winter activities helps a lot in the fight against winter t-shirts. If you only call me by name, you will be taken out.

You've been ice fishing, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, cleaning pavements, yurt recreation, snow caves, hiking, ice licking, kata

What do you like to do outdoors in winter?

My second @ChaseBurch is a pro snowboarder and shares some great photos. Follow Instagram, which is half of the much more aesthetic inspiration.

Like, join and share!

We hope that 10+ tips will help you or your loved ones cope with seasonal affective disorder. If you can't do what you can't do, talk to someone and seek professional help.

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