8 Simple Ways to Beat Winter Blues
This Winter has been a long one here in the north east part of the US. I know its been really hard to try to keep positive when every day is gloomy and snowing. You can't go anywhere, The kids are home from school and everyone is bored out of their mind! It can become a serious problem and really bring us all down.
Besides feeling sad, here are some other symptoms of the Winter Blues:
* Your energy is low and you sleep more that usual.
* You feel apathetic, unmotivated, and bored.
* You are less interested in friends and activities you usually enjoy.
* You feel irritable, moody, and your relationships suffer.
* You overeat, gain weight, and especially have cravings for carbohydrates.
Here are some ways to break away from the Winter Blues.
1. Open up the shades and let the natural light shine in! Research has proven that natural lighting helps people be more productive, happier, healthier and calmer.
2. Diffuse natural essential oils. You might be skeptical about essential oils working for depression, but essential oils can actually "affect a number of biological factors, including heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, and immune function. Read Here for further information and what oils work best for this! I currently get all of my oils from Melaleuca! They seem to work the best for me!
3. Eat more chocolate! Yup! Dark Chocolate helps to release serotonin and relaxes the blood vessels of the cardiovascular system. Just remember that dark chocolate is incredibly calorie-dense, with about 150 calories per ounce, so eat just one small piece at a time. There are also foods you want to avoid that may be causing your depression to get worse! Go here to read about what not to eat when you are depressed.
4. Take a Vitamin D supplement. Studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression. Researchers behind a 2013 meta-analysis noticed that study participants with depression also had low vitamin D levels. The same analysis found that, statistically, people
with low vitamin D were at a much greater risk of depression. The researchers believe that because vitamin D is important to brain function, insufficient nutrient levels may play a role in depression and other mental illnesses. An earlier 2005 study identified vitamin D receptors in the same areas of the brain associated with depression. I get my Vitamin D from Melaleuca as well, because they are proven to be more beneficial and absorbed into the body more sufficiently as well. I have notice a significant difference since I started taking these, It is definitely worth the shot if you are struggling with a bad mood and you do not want to go straight to an prescription anti-depressant.
5. Meditation. Meditation has shown to be helpful for treating depression in clinical studies. Mindfulness meditation in particular has been shown to have a strong effect on lessening symptoms of depression, such as negative thinking, rumination, and lack of focus. Here are a few ways to start with this idea, I find at least learning how to breath correctly can greatly help during an anxiety attack or just to get back your focus.
6. Dance Party! When dancing, an ample flow of mood-improving chemicals is released helping to elevate our mental state; even one lively dance session has been proven to reduced depression in comparison to vigorous exercise or listening to music according to research conducted by The Arts in Psychotherapy. Additionally, whilst the physical movement of dance helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression, dancing with others also helps us feel more connected and social. Dance classes can encourage social bonds and friendships which are key factors in improving our mood and mental health. So grab the kids , turn up the tunes and dance like no one is watching! Trust me, you will feel better and it will make you all smile!
7. Exercise. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the anxiety levels and moods of people who practiced yoga for an hour three times a week. Yoga practice is associated with increased levels of GABA, an amino acid and neurotransmitter that may help reduce anxiety. Here are 5 mood boosting moves to try out!
8. Get yourself a dawn simulator! Why is the gradual appearance of morning light potentially “antidepressant”? Think of it this way: the dawn simulator is trying to convince your brain that it’s still July out there (even in December). It turns out that your brain knows what season it is
primarily by the time at which morning light appears (okay, it’s true, you can also tell the difference between snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain, and the warm summer sun; but evolutionary it looks like the brain’s timing was set by factors more closely associated with light.) We think that some people are built to slow down in the winter, something akin to hibernation. Think of a hibernating bear: sleepy, slow, hungry for carbohydrates, unhappy if awakened. Those symptoms are pretty close to the experience of “winter blues” for some people. So, if those peoples’ brain could be tricked into thinking that it really isn’t winter after all, might that prevent this shift toward a kind of half-hibernating way of dealing with the world? It appears that for some people, this actually works.
Because the Winter Blues is a type of real depression, its best diagnosed by talking to your Dr. There are a number of screening questions that can help determine if someone is depressed. Your doctor will be able to sort out whether you have the Winter Blues as opposed to some other form of depression. So please if those feelings just do not seem to go away get in touch with your Dr and see if there is something else going on. They will be able to help you out further.
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