The winter snow only glistens for so long before it turns into muddy slush. Sure, the winter months are a magical time of the year for some, but for others, the cold can add stress, anxiety, and depression. The winter blues are very real, and it’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
This type of seasonal depression affects 10 million Americans with women four times more likely to be diagnosed than men. SAD is usually more common for those who live in areas with seasonal variation, like the Midwest, since the winter days grow short and cold. Let’s take a closer look and learn ways to combat a mid-winter slump.
8 Ways to Beat Your Mid-Winter Slump
What is SAD?
It’s normal to feel a little down during the winter months. I mean, freezing cold temperatures aren’t everyone’s jam. But SAD goes beyond a general feeling of sadness.
According to Hopkins Medicine, seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that happens during certain seasons of the year. It’s thought that less sunlight and shorter days are linked to a chemical change in the brain and could be part of the cause of SAD.
In most cases, SAD occurs during the winter months and ends once summer hits. However, some people have the opposite pattern where their symptoms start to show in the spring or summer. Either way, symptoms can be mild at first and progress with the season and differ for everyone. Some common symptoms of SAD are:
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Difficulty concentrating
- Low energy, feeling sluggish or agitated
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Fluctuations in appetite or weight
Of course, visiting your doctor is always the best course of action if you’re experiencing SAD symptoms. In the meantime, you can also try some tips and tricks to try and find relief.
Ways to cope with the winter blues
Up your vitamin D dosage
When you’re feeling down, it can help to add some vitamin D into your system. Don’t take our word for it — several studies have found that taking vitamin D supplements improved symptoms of seasonal depression.
But where do you get vitamin D? The ideal source of vitamin D comes from the sunlight, but that’s difficult to come by on short winter days. So, another great natural source of vitamin D comes from fish such as trout, salmon, and tuna. You can also find vitamin D in other animal-based foods like beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and eggs.
If you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or just not into eating meat, there are other ways to get vitamin D, too, such as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and some brands of orange juice, yogurt, and margarine.
Another popular way to treat your body to vitamin D is through dietary supplements — you can find these in the vitamin section at any ole pharmacy or grocery store.
Eat less sweets and more greens
When we’re feeling moody or down, it can be easy to turn to comfort foods to make us feel better.
But when you’re feeling a little low, it’s best to stick to a healthy, well-balanced diet, so you don’t end up lethargic and feel worse later. Like anything, this is easier said than done so make sure your diet goal is attainable and realistic. You don’t have to eat a spinach and kale salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day; instead, sub fries for veggies every now and then.
Limit the lattes
Just like certain foods, caffeine can give you a temporary burst of energy. It is, after all, a natural stimulant and one of America’s most popular beverages.
But when it's all said and done, caffeine will make your blood sugar levels drop, dehydrate you, and make you more sluggish. Drinking too much can produce uncomfortable side effects like restlessness, rapid heartbeat, and insomnia, which doesn’t sound fun for anyone.
Instead of automatically going to the coffee pot, try an herbal tea or sparkling water. Or heck, just gulp down that old-fashioned H2O. What you put in your body matters, so treat it to beverages that boost your body’s health.
Get up and at ‘em
Fun fact: exercise reduces stress levels. It seems counterintuitive because after a long, hard, and stressful day, many of us want to melt into the couch with a tub of our favorite ice cream, not sweat it out from every pore in our bodies.
Instead of resorting to your usual comfort routine, find your inner motivation to get up and get active. Science says physical activity can help improve mood and reduce anxiety. Even something like a quick walk around the block or a few steps on a treadmill can improve symptoms of depression.
“In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain — the region that helps regulate mood — is smaller,” said Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression.”
The worst part about working out is getting started. Start slowly with five minutes each day of an activity that you enjoy. Soon, five minutes will naturally become ten, then fifteen, and before you know it, you’ve formed a fun new habit! Way to go, you!
Offer a helping hand
It feels good to help others when you can. Not only do we think so, but so does science! Studies show that giving back to your community can boost your happiness, health, and sense of wellbeing. Not only that, but altruism can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose.
The beauty of helping others is that comes in many different forms. One way to give back is to volunteer your time to help others, whether that means serving food at a homeless shelter or helping to build a home for a family in need.
If you’re running short on time, consider donating to nonprofit organizations. But don’t donate your hard-earned cash to any organization. Do your research ahead of time and align with a nonprofit that’s passionate about something you are.
Michael Norton, Harvard scientist, said, “Giving to a cause that specifies what they’re going to do with your money leads to more happiness than giving to an umbrella cause where you’re not so sure where your money is going.”
If you’re feeling low, make yourself feel better by helping someone else. It doesn’t have to be a big fundraiser event or impressive monetary donation, but rather a door held open or dollar in the tip jar. Give what you can when you can and feel good while you do it.
At the end of the (short, sunlit) day, do what makes you feel better, and take care of yourself first to combat your mid-winter slump. This season is full of wonderful things for you to experience and enjoy, so make the most of winter and all it has to offer.
