How to Take Care of Yourself with Seasonal Affective Disorder
Last night, I had an especially low night. I found myself wandering in low-vibing thoughts and my state of heart seemed to fall lower and lower. I’m pretty sure it’s SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) finally hitting me.
Since I started taking multivitamins about two weeks ago, I reduced my Vitamin D intake but maybe this is a sign that I should increase it.
If you find yourself experiencing abnormally low emotions during the winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight, you could be experiencing SAD. (Disclaimer: Please consult a meditation professional for a proper diagnosis and treament.)
Here are some of my regular practices for weathering the storms of winter.
Take Vitamin D!
I usually take 3,000 IU and it seems to work for me.
If you live in Canada, Health Canada's daily recommended intakes (RDAs) for vitamin D, updated in 2011, are 400 international units (IU) for infants, 600 IU for children aged one to adults aged 70, and 800 IU for adults over 70. Health Canada's safe upper limit is 4,000 IU per day. (Source: The Globe and Mail)
If you experience lows, try upping your Vitamin D intake to 3,000-4,000 IU. If you were to do one thing from this article, start taking Vitamin D. Taking more vitamin D is what I’ve found makes the biggest difference.
2. Don’t Believe Your Negative Thoughts
I am aware when thinking especially low thoughts and I don’t let myself take myself down. It’s a strange thing to be aware of your own negativity and not be taken down by it, but having a regular meditation practice (see below) will help you develop this mind-muscle. When you notice that you’re starting to feel like depressed about your life and it just so happens to be in the thick of winter, don’t believe everything you are thinking. No, you are not a failure, unloved or worthless. You might just be experiencing SAD. Yes, your life still matters. Please try one of the other options in this piece.
This season, I’ve been reminding myself to accept the ups and the downs. Life is cannot be all ups (despite what we might see on Instagram). Simply accepting that the downs are a part of life helps me to not take it so seriously.
3. Meditate Regularly
The practice of calming your mind and being aware of your thoughts is especially useful in seasons of emotional turbulence. There are occasionally times when I am so overwhelmed with sad thoughts that I just need to stop thinking. This is when I switch on my meditation “filter” and I tell myself that I’m just going to meditate for the next hour. No matter what is going on, or what I think about anything, I’ll just meditate for the next hour. This is how I will pass the next hour. Within the hour, the deepest low of my low will have passed.
If you’re not sure how to meditate, the simplest way to get started is to go on youtube, type in “guided meditation” into the search bar and click on any video that resonates with you. It’s nice to feel supported as someone else guides you through a meditation. I intend on making some meditation recordings soon, but for now, even I go to youtube. :)
4. Move Your Body
When we exercise, our bodies produce the feel-good chemical, serotonin, whichmakes us feel alert, lively and positive. Studies have shown that exercise helps with depression, and I can certainly attest that I always feel better about life after I sweat, even if its just from a teeny-tiny 10 minute workout. Get your heart pumping and break a sweat.
Exercise also has other benefits, beyond boosting your mood. It produces a protein called BDFN which helps to produce new brain cells and increase. Exercise gives you a natural energy boost that will last you all day, giving you clearer energy.
Perhaps over the winter, I should switch my workouts to the morning. It helps me to get out of bed and feeling positive before negative thoughts have a chance to creep in too much! I just thought of this while writing and I will experiment with it over the coming months. If you usually work out in the afternoon or evening, you could move your workout to the mornings in the winter.
5. Laugh more.
Out of all the things in this article, this is the one I need to work on most. I think so much, and read all that time, that I spend so much time meandering in deep thoughts. I would pick a deep movie over a funny movie anyday…
Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins. I even read a story recently of someone who believes that watching movie TV shows helped him to overcome a serious illness. It kept his spirits us, which boosts the immune system and the general state of wellness and outlook on life.
I know this will sound silly but most days, I make a point to laugh randomly. I’ll laugh when I finish my workday. I’ll laugh when I go out for my noontime laugh. I laugh because it reminds to me to have a light heart and smile!
6. Learn about Hygge
Hygge is a concept from in Danish culture that focuses on living with a sense of comfort, coziness, and peace. It can be described as "creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people." (Source: verywellmind.com/)
I’ve seen lots of books on this lately at the bookstores and I’m glad that it’s making its way to North America because we need it! Learning about Hygge reminds me that most modern cultures have to deal with winter. It’s nothing to complain about, because many people who live in more northern parts have much more intense winters than the average North American. In Toronto, our shortest day is sunlight from around 7:30am - 4:30pm, which will gives us 9 hours of daylight. In some parts of the world, people live with less than 4 hours of daylight! If they can find a way to be cozy, enjoy friendship and savour in warm drinks over candles, surely we can too!
I’ve already started lighting candles every evening, and it creates a lovely ambience in my home. Pick up a book on Hygge this winter and you’ll be prepped for many future winters of coziness. I’m heading to my local library soon to pick up some new books for this season!
Bonus tip: make a snowman! The snowman pictured above is one I made a few days ago. It must be the first time I made a snowman in 15 years! Doing little gestures like this helps me to remember the blessings of winter. :)
I hope these suggestions help. Know that winter affects everyone, but it can still be a beautiful season of reflection, self-care and community.
If you have additional suggestions for how you weather the winter, please feel free to share!
