Don’t Let Winter Depression Get the Best of You

As the cold rolls in and wintertime begins, we start to see shorter days and longer nights. Long gone is the sunshine and we are faced with grayer days. Many people are affected by this change and it can cause them to feel sad, moody, anxious, and very depressed. These wintertime blues are also known as seasonal affective disorder or seasonal sadness. When seasonal sadness stikes this winter, there are a few things you can do to overcome it.

Be Excited For Winter

If you live in an area when winter means heavy snow, it can be tough to be happy about the cold. The more irritated or angry you are about winter coming, the harder time you will have getting through the season. Instead of being upset that winter is here, get excited about it. Look forward to shopping for new winter clothes or gear, ice skating with your friends or family, sledding, ice fishing, snowboarding, or anything you love to do in the winter. It will help give you a better outlook and get you in a better mood. 

Get Creative

It’s easy to fall into a slump during the wintertime. Even though there are so many holidays to look forward to, it’s easy to feel a bit unmotivated because of the cold. This is why it’s a great idea to start a new creative project. Instead of spending your extra time sleeping in or flipping aimlessly through channels in front of the TV, try learning how to knit. Anything to put your mind and energy into something fun, new, and something you’d enjoy. New projects are a great way to keep the mind busy so as not to slip into seasonal blues.

Wear Brighter Clothes 

It’s tempting to go with the dark winter colors like black, brown, navy blue, or burgundy, but this can lead to you feel down and moody. To brighten your mood, wear bright colors as much as you can. While there is no research to support this, wearing bright colors can trick your brain and your mood. Even though there is no sunshine outside, you can be the sunshine Not only is this a mood booster for you, but it can also brighten other people’s days around you. 

Pay Attention to Your Diet

Diet can have a huge effect on depression and anxiety year-round. During the wintertime, it’s especially important to pay attention to what you eat. To combat seasonal depression, focus on foods with lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, berries, folic acid, and especially vitamin D. Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” and has been known to improve mood. It’s also important to lower your sugar intake, which is hard to do this time of year with all the holiday treats. Sugar can bring you up, but it can also bring you crashing down. 

While these tips and tricks can help improve your mood, it’s also very important to seek a therapist if you are truly feeling depressed. Seasonal depression is still depression and it’s important to talk about it with friends, family, and mental health professionals. This can help you enjoy the wintertime instead of dreading it.