Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year. In many places the weather is becoming cooler, the holidays are coming, the time of daylight hours will be shifting, the foods we eat are even within a transition. There’s a lot changes that come into play for most during the fall and winter months.
What About Your Mood?
Your mood is often more vulnerable during the fall and winter as the transition of time, season, daylight, sleep, holidays, and interpersonal relationship is all called into transition for most people. Your mood is likely to have more highs and lows with a great season of transition. We also must consider the current and real experience of COVID 19, Quarantine, Home Schooling, Election Season, and how that also impacts this fall and winter.
This is a big thought and question to ponder? How can you best stay healthy and safe? How can you thrive through this winter and minimize/ prevent your risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder?
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of Depression that is related to change of season and daylight, which effects mood and energy. You may find that you generally feel higher levels of depression and sadness during the window of SAD. The window where seasonal Affective Disorder is most prominent is during the months of November and ongoing through February depending on the person, stressors sleep patterns, nutrition patterns, and available support network.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms
Seasonal Affective Disorder has a distinct set of symptoms that usually overlap with Depression symptoms as well. Some of the symptoms that may be easier to self-monitor are listed below.
Increased experience of low energy and feeling tired often
Low interest to do the activities you previously enjoyed
Social Isolation and avoidance
Irritable mood and emotional sensitivity
Feeling hopeless or guilty
Difficulty concentrating
Low sex drive
Brain fog
Holistic Therapies For Seasonal Affective Disorder
Light Therapy: Seasonal Affective Disorder has been treated with light therapy in 2 primary ways, the first way is to open the blinds to allow natural light exposure to occur daily for natural vitamin D support which correlates back to mood management. You can also find light therapy lamps for daily light therapy practice indoors while at home or at your workspace.
Vitamin D Supplementation: Also taking Vitamin D in supplement form can be very helpful for maintaining a certain amount of vitamin D in your blood system as a baseline through the winter months. This helps maintain a preventative approach to keeping your vitamin D established at a certain level during the fall and winter season.
Exercise: Try to keep your fitness practice in good shape. Consider going for daily wellness walks, doing daily yoga or indoor cardio. Your body will naturally produce cortisol, serotonin, and additional endorphins that will naturally support your mood management and potentially prevent SAD or reduce impact of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Support Circle: Reach out to friends, family during, and your natural supports during the SAD Season as much as feels appropriate for you to feel that your practicing healthy and supportive social interactions. Isolation is vulnerability when it comes to likely increase of depression symptoms. Humans are social creatures and without enough social interactions there is a posed risk for your sense of wellness.
Self Care: Having a winter self care practice is priceless! Be sure to look forward to updating your self-care routine as the seasons change and your routine is likely to change. You want to keep your self care practice as relevant to your present needs versus doing what may have been practical for the previous season.
MY #1 HOPE:
I hope you enjoyed learning about my favorite post-party detox strategies. Be sure to share your real life wellness issues below! I will try to share more posts for you to help you keep up a healthy self care practice for the winter season.
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