Do you find that year after year, as temperatures drop and the sun seemingly goes in hiding, that you are defending yourself against the winter blues? You don’t need medication or visits to the doctor’s office to make the Winter Blues go away. In fact, the Winter Blues can be maintained and even overcome naturally when you follow these few helpful tips.
Do you find that year after year, as temperatures drop and the sun seemingly goes in hiding, that you are defending yourself against the winter blues?
You don’t need medication or visits to the doctor’s office to make the Winter Blues go away. In fact, the Winter Blues can be maintained and even overcome naturally when you follow a few helpful tips.
What Exactly Are The Winter Blues?
The Winter Blues are a mild version of SAD (or Seasonal Affective Disorder). What this can mean are feelings of fatigue, a downturn in your mood, irritability, boredom, overeating and weight gain, loss of interest in being around other people, and even losing interest in your commonly liked activities.
Already feeling a bit down and overwhelmed? Being that we are right in the middle of seasonal depression, with January and February being peak months for it to occur, we wanted to offer 3 easy natural ways to work through feeling blue as a great way to kickstart the warm and fuzzies within.
Simple First Steps To Fight The Blues Naturally
1. Keep on Moving
Don’t spend your days hiding from the cold on your couch binging on streaming TV; keep active! Even if you fear the bitter weather, begin an indoor exercise routine and stick to it.
Simple Yoga stretches or 20-30 minutes of cardio can do the trick. By staying mobile throughout the season, you will feel more energetic and motivated. Not to mention, you’ll be burning off all those indulgent holiday meals!
2. Feed the Body the Nutrients It Needs
Staying in and feeling down during colder months often means we’re not getting enough sunshine. The lack of sun can quickly turn into a serious Vitamin D deficiency. Open up the curtains, bundle up and go outside, eat Vitamin D enriched foods like salmon, orange juice, and cheese, and even take vitamins to keep your vitamin D levels stable.
Your omega-3 intake should also be increased. Omega-3 helps fight depression by increasing our dopamine and serotonin levels. The essential fatty acids can be found in a variety of fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel. Walnuts and other foods also contain higher levels of omega-3.
Put down that pie! The winter blues causes us to crave foods that we normally try to stay away from. The wrong carbohydrates can make us feel lethargic and irritable. Consuming the right carbohydrates such as whole grains and root vegetables, and limiting the amount of bakery and other sugary carbohydrates you take in can actually help give you more energy!
3. Find and Keep Positive Thoughts
There is perhaps nothing more important than maintaining a positive attitude. Wake up each day with a smile on your face and try to encourage an optimistic mindset. Don’t let little things beat you down and try to focus on the things that matter most.
Consider picking up a new hobby such as journaling, scrapbooking or anything that will keep those creative wheels turning throughout winter. Even something as simple as keeping to a regular schedule and waking up every morning to get ready will help cure the blues.
Start treating yourself a little. Give yourself a daily in home "spa day" all-natural skincare regimen, and mix essential oils such as Bergamot, Frankincense and Lemon into your pure organic oils to help fight depression.
Most importantly, get outside! Feeling the sunshine hit your face and finding beauty in nature can help lighten any spirit.
Don’t Let The Winter Blues Get To You
With shorter days, it’s no wonder we have a tendency to feel unhappy throughout the season. The early onset of dark skies only encourages most of us to throw on pajamas and jump in bed by 7:00 p.m. Fight the urge to hide under the covers and begin enjoying each day as if it were warm and sunny. In fact, even finding that warm sunny spot near a window to start reading a good book can help!
Those that suffer from the Winter Blues need to know they are not alone! You would be surprised on how common these feelings really are (10-20% of Americans get the Winter Blues), and how simple natural changes to your typical winter habits will put a positive focus on your health and well-being.
It can be hard to break ourselves free of the Winter Blues until the spring sun starts shining through. Armed with natural ways to defend yourself against feeling blue, you can truly enjoy all the wonder that winter has to offer!