Here in Montana the change of seasons can be abrupt. Take for instance the shift a few weekends ago from 65-degree weather to snow. Crazy, right? And while some here in the mountain west pray for snow, there are others who dread the winter season. At Breathe Mind Body Therapy, we often hear people stating that they are not ready for winter, in fact resisting that it is coming. As the winter season progresses and darkness takes over, many of our clients experience the winter blues. Does this happen to you too? Do you notice a lack of energy, feeling sad, maybe not even wanting to leave the house?
Because the winter blues are common here in Montana, Maggie, Mariah, and I are going to spend the next few weeks giving you practical tips on how to beat the winter blues and experience greater well-being. We’ll be posting helpful tips and tricks on our Facebook Page and writing several blog posts focusing on Surviving the Change of Season. They’ll include tips for managing the winter blues and dealing with the lack of light during our long winter months. We hope you follow along on our Facebook page. (There is a bonus tip below to help with the next 48 hours!)
For today, let’s talk about winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is seasonal depression, with symptoms that include a lack of energy, lack of interest in things you usually like to do, sadness, anxiety, irritability, lethargy, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, and social withdraw, to name a few.
Winter blues is a smattering of the above just not as intense. The winter blues may come and go throughout the season and probably has you feeling a little less like you. Those living in the Northern Hemisphere, like Montanans, have higher rates of winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder. A drastic lack of sunlight during the winter months is the primary cause of SAD. The lack of sunlight means two things there is less daylight and we are getting less exposure to the sun causing us to experience a shortage of Vitamin D. Other things can and may contribute including reduced physical activity, the stress of the holidays, and “falling back” on our clocks.
Outside of moving closer to the equator for the winter (Costa Rica anyone!) or sunbathing on snow (brrr!), what are the practical tools that can keep us happier and healthier during the winter months? The Breathe Mind Body Team has the answers and we will deliver them to you over the next 30 days! During the next ten days, I will be bringing simple mindfulness exercises to you through our Facebook Page including savoring, what went well, and self-compassion. Each of these is designed to help you cope with the winter blues and SAD.
On our next blog, Mariah McManis, MSW will help you kick seasonal mood changes by moving your body. She’ll motivate you with her exercise tips via Breathe Mind Body’s FB page. To finish our 30-day focus on Surviving the Change of Season, Maggie Smith, MFLC, will help you stay happy by highlighting the benefits light therapy, Vitamin D therapy, and talk therapy.
To get all of these great tips, please follow us on Facebook and sign-up for emails if you haven’t already. As the snow flies and the darkness fills the skies, our hope is that we can support you to a brighter and healthier winter season.
Joni Evans, LMFT
Bonus Tip
Today was the day we set our clocks back an hour. It can be lovely to get an extra hour of sleep on a Sunday morning and potentially difficult over the work week to get into the new rhythm. Here are a few things you can do today to help reset your internal clock. Light, exercise and food help trigger our sleep patterns. First, get some sunlight or light from a Vitamin D lamp early in the day to help wake you up. Second, get some exercise but not too close to when you want to go to bed. Don’t eat too late. Keep dinner time the same distance from bed time as you had before the time change. And finally, be patient and kind to yourself. More on this in the coming days.
