As I write this we are a week into British Winter Time.
For many the expectation of these shorter duller days instantly triggers a sense of dread, as they prepare to face the familiar emotional struggles that winter brings.
This scenario may feel very real to you is you suffer from S.A.D.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
S.A.D. Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as winter depression, according to the NHS affects around 1 in 15 of the population.
Women 4 times more likely to suffer than men and it can last up to 40% of the year. The onset may start as early as September.
The cause is thought to be the shorter daylight hours and colder weather, both things we cannot change. But we can change the way we respond to them and therefore lessen the impact they have on our emotional health.
One of my favourite sayings is “It’s not the situation that’s the problem, but the way that you deal with it that counts.”
Below I explore 5 ways that you can change the way you deal with winter, helping to protect you from S.A.D.
1. Maintain your normal routines:
Eating, Sleeping, working and exercising just as you would in the lighter warmer months will help your body and mind have less changes to adapt to and will maintain the healthy habits that you already have established.
All of these activities are vital to our wellbeing, dropping just one at any time of year will have an impact on your hormones, neurochemicals and energy levels.
These are also the fundamentals of any healthy lifestyle, so if you know there is room for improvement in any of these, now is a great time to do so.
2. Nourish your mind
Rather than being tempted to veg out in front of the TV when it gets dark at 4pm, learn something new.
Learning has been shown to have many psychosocial, mental and physical health benefits.
Whether it maintains your sense of worth, self-confidence, creates more life satisfaction and purpose, or builds resilience enabling you to cope better with change, learning a new skill or increasing your knowledge will undoubtedly fill the darker hours and help the winter months slip by less noticed.
3. Treat yourself – Mindfully
I am not talking cake here!
The brain likes to be treated, it makes it feel loved, safe and secure in this world. Even when it is cold, dark and windy outside.
Treats can be as simple as taking a moment to notice the colour of the autumn leaves, the patterns of frost on the windows or the smell of nourishing food. It can even be a few kind words to yourself, a cuddle with a loved one or the comfort of a warm scented bath.
Soaking up any pleasurable sensation: what you are hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling or smelling will boost your happy hormones.
Noticing these moment will not only help you capture the positive, it is also a great way to practice mindfulness with all the benefits that brings.
4. Soak up the sun or at least daylight.
Ok so I know we don’t get that much sun in an English winter, so you have to capitalise on it as best you can. Getting outside in the daylight as much as you can, even if the sun is not shining will still keep your circadian rhythms balanced.
These will help balance your eating and sleeping patterns. Light deficit is a large contributor to S.A.D. so if you can’t get the real stuff then a lightbox may be worth investing in.
Sunlight on our skin also boosts our vitamin D levels, vital for calcium absorption for healthy bones, muscle function to keep you fit and active and boosts immunity for fighting off those winter germs. Again you can always take a supplement to help keep your levels topped up.
5. See it how you want it to be
Last but definitely not least, harness the power of your imagination to support your levels of optimism and motivation.
When we feel down and lethargic it is so easy to see what lays ahead from that same miserable perspective, hence the expectation of winter being enough to trigger S.A.D even before the summer is even over.
Hypnotherapy and NLP are great tools for making this not just easier but more effective too.
It can be hard to keep trying to see let alone feel the positive when you are immersed in the negative. By helping you feel lighter, warmer, more open, confident and energised, it is far easier to believe that you can feel that way in any situation.
Here is a favourite and very appropriate saying when it comes to S.A.D:
“Feeling in believing, believing is being.”
Follow these tips and sign up for more information, advice and healthful activities to start feeling, believing and being healthier and happier today.