Blast Winter Blues with these 7 Hacks

Are you a winter enthusiast? Or do you get a bit down about the cold, dark days?

Women are at higher risk to suffer SAD, seasonal affective disorder, than men. Risk is higher the further one lives from the equator, and with any family history of depression, bipolar or SAD.

Be prepared. Remember… Proper Prior Planning Prevents Panic Pal ☺

Here are 7 easy hacks to get through winter with your mental health intact.

1. Eat real food and dive into intermittent fasting.

   Real, whole foods have nutrients your body needs to function and be healthy. Fake foods have bad oils, sugars, and toxins that inflame your body and your brain, contributing to poor mood. Yuck. Be a food snob and avoid them.

   If you know you are going to indulge a bit over the holidays follow these simple guidelines:

   First, have a small serving of the tempting sweet immediately following a meal so it will digest slowly w the meal, avoiding blood sugar spikes.

   Secondly, avoid sweetened beverages like the plague, especially alone on an empty stomach when they will sky rocket your blood sugar, then drop it like a rock, causing crappy mood (think hangry) and send you looking for another quick fix like an addict.

   Lastly, understand that our bodies are made to eat and digest during the day, and sleep and repair during night. So, an easy rule of thumb is to eat during the day, and mostly don’t eat after dark, or finish eating for the day as soon after dark as possible.

   Intermittent fasting, or not eating anything that would ‘break your fast’ for 13-18 hours overnight, has been shown to balance hormones, clear brain fog, improve mood, reverse high blood sugar and promote weight loss.

2. Maintain your Vitamin D around 40-50, higher in certain circumstances.

   Vitamin D deficiency has been associated w anxiety and depression.

   Know your Vitamin D level since pushing it too hard uses up magnesium (needed to relax). Also, D needs to be in balance w Vit A for optimal immune function. 

   Spring and Fall are good times to check levels.

3. Get 7-9 hours sleep routinely and at regular times. 

   One of the best health related gifts you can give your body is to wake and sleep on a pretty regular schedule, aligned as much as possible with light and dark.

4. Get light exposure in the first hour of waking during those darker months, and at intervals throughout the day.

   Your body is ‘reading’ where you are in your day by the light in your eyes, and setting your circadian rhythm accordingly. If circadian rhythm is off you will likely feel fatigued and low mood.

   Natural light is great, though a light box for 15-30 minutes is a good substitute for natural light in the early dark mornings. They have been shown to decrease SAD, seasonal affective disorder.

5. Stay active! Dress for the weather and get out there. 

   Mid-day around here is often quite nice in winter. 

   Exercise, even short bouts, and outdoor time are well known to boost mood and keep blood flowing. If weather is an obstacle, there are lots of options inside the house… dance, walk or run stairs, find fun exercise videos online, have a set of hand weights for squats and such.

6. Decide to like winter. Or at least be ok with it. Sound crazy?

   Your perception of events influences your mood and outlook. You can decide to change your perception, to at least some degree.

   If you hate winter and everything about it, you are much more likely to suffer SAD. 

   If you can at least accept the seasonal changes and decide to find value in the darker, colder days you will not suffer as much. You might even come to like winter!

7. Plan activities to look forward to. Planning, and looking forward to activities can boost mood almost as much as the activity itself.

   Plan playdates w other families, tea or coffee dates w friends or people you want to get to know. Plan occasional day trips to places close by for change of scenery and routine. 

   Plan a winter project, maybe home spruce up, closet clean out, scrap book, write letters to your children to give them years later, write your life story, read and rest more. 

   Brainstorm and plan projects that interest you!

Planning and intention will improve your outlook and your winter experience, and reduce the winter blues. 

Decide to live an intentional life!

Let me know if I can help.