Maintain Your Mental Health Throughout the Winter
By Brandi Goodman
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is all too common throughout the winter. With the darkness setting in early, stress on your shoulders from all your end-of-year and holiday tasks you need to accomplish, and perhaps a less than ideal family life, it can be easy to feel depressed. Do what you can to maintain your mental health throughout the winter so you aren't struggling as much.
Spend Time Outdoors
The limited daylight hours are part of the problem for some people. The winter season has the shortest days. It's often dark in the morning when you wake and just as dark by the time you head home from work in the evening. Do what you can to spend time outdoors and get the Vitamin D your body needs from sunlight. Go for a walk on your lunch break. Make sure you're getting outdoors on the weekends or your days off.
Stick With an Exercise Plan
Your body needs exercise. So does your mind. Exercise releases endorphins that can help you feel good. Make sure you're sticking with some sort of exercise plan during the winter. Even if you don't feel like getting out of the house and going to the gym, there's still plenty you can do at home. Dance in your living room. Follow along to free workout videos. Use your furniture for bodyweight exercises. The couch works great for tricep dips and sit-ups.
Find Time for Things You Enjoy
You can't fill your time with work and to-do lists and expect to feel happy and fulfilled. You need to make time for things you actually enjoy. Take 30 minutes before bed to read a book. Journal on your lunch break at work. Take a bath instead of a shower. Skip a chore and watch a funny movie instead. Find things that ease your stress and make sure you find time for them daily. Even a few minutes can help.
Give Music Therapy a Try
Some doctors recommend finding a mind-body connection through music. Listening to happy, upbeat music, for example, may help put you in a more positive mood. Don't listen to melancholy songs when you're feeling down. They'll only worsen your mood. Find your favorite happy tunes and let them lift your spirits.
Though these options may help reduce some of your symptoms, they aren't a cure-all. If you have significant signs of depression, it's best to seek help from your doctor. In the meantime, do what you can to fight your symptoms and stay on top of your mental health the best you can. These possibilities can help whether it's winter or not.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Duluth, Ga.