How to Deal With Winter Mood Slides
How to stay sane during Winter and make the best of it.
No sun, freezing, getting dark at 3 pm, defrosting the car—all that can pin you down if your life is not going well anyway. That’s why I will give you remedies and approaches that can make the winter season bearable or even enjoyable.
Causes
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression. It happens during certain seasons of the year, most often fall or winter. It is thought that shorter days and less daylight may set off a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression.
source
No sun—the biggest problem is no sun. We will get the obvious out of the way first, I saved the best for later.
Supplement vitamin D (2000–4000 IU is a common recommendation, but you can use vit. D intake calculator). Add Omega3 (linked to improved mood and brain health).
Walk outside: expose yourself to as much natural light as possible.
General supplements and diet: No better time to take care of your diet than Winter. The likelihood of getting sick is at its peak during this time of year. Even if you're someone who rarely falls ill, catching a cold is likely.
Bonus: Light therapy. If outdoor exposure is limited for whatever reason, invest in a light therapy box. These devices simulate sunlight, helping to regulate your circadian rhythm and improve mood. Use it for 20–30 minutes in the morning to feel more energized and balanced. I add it as a bonus as I’m not sure of the effectiveness of that method.
The mental pressure of New Year’s Eve
That’s not what people usually talk about when they hear “winter depression”, huh? But it’s real and it’s crushing for people who want more from life. If you're ambitious, there aren't many worse feelings than looking back and seeing no progress, and there’s no better indicator of a “new chapter” than the end of the year. If this chapter is not finished with a happy ending, it can bring you down.
You also don’t need to spend a monthly paycheck on a New Year’s Eve party just because people around you do it. There’s nothing wrong in working on your stuff or just watching a movie when fireworks pop outside the window.
Quick mental health toolkit
If you can relate to the previous headline, here are the absolute basics to take care of:
Gratitude: I write down 5 things I’m grateful for every day before going to sleep. It can be literally anything: water bottle, pillow, nice dreams.
Meditation: I bet you have heard about meditation already and that’s for a good reason. Learn how to start here.
Reading: Reading gives you more ideas, helps you understand things, see more patterns, and connect some dots that weren’t even there before.
Writing: Writing unravels your mind. Thoughts cluttering around your head can make a mess, that’s why it’s good to run them through a filter from time to time. Writing down your thoughts is like putting together individual Lego blocks that get tangled up in different parts of the room: not always what you wanted, but something will always come out of it.
Be social: Winter brings Christmas, and Christmas brings socializing with people you don't necessarily want to be in the same room with (I’m being diplomatic with that description).
Sleep: Bears fall into winter sleep, you may not need that much time to rest but when it’s dark outside most of the time sleep cycle can get disrupted. Read:
Exercise: Cardio preferably.
Savor small pleasures.
Leverage new year
“This is gonna be my year!” Ye, I know. But this time, we will make it really happen.
We like things like a new year, a clear line separating the present and the future. A chance to “reset”, an impulse to finally change things.
This is Dan Harmon’s story circle. Where are you now? Obviously, this is not a map of how human life goes, but you can use it for imagination.
Approach the new year as like a new chapter in a book, a chapter in which things you never dreamed of will happen. Make this year a movie worth watching.
So that you don't end up thinking, planning and giving up in mid-February, take action right away, 1st January. Do what you have been procrastinating on the most, start the year by taking risks and stepping on unknown ground, that's where the chances are.
Goal: First thing first, you need a goal, a good and clear one. Just read below and use the template to set it.
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