As days are becoming shorter during the fall and winter, some people may experience the winter blues and some may experience SAD. The latter stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a form of depression and that’s what makes it different from the regular winter blues. Winter blues are just the feeling of being down during the fall and winter seasons, it is usually caused by a lack of sunlight. It does not normally cause a significant impact on everyday activities and wellbeing. Winter blues are pretty much only about hating these short dark days, missing the sun and the beach, and waiting for the summer to come. It doesn’t involve becoming asocial, having challenges to sleep, waking up at random times, being apathetic, chronically tired and generally losing any interest in life. All these behaviors are beyond the winter blues experience. If you have the above symptoms in fall and winter, then you might be having SAD.
One of the contributing factors of Seasonal Affective Disorder is a lack of sunlight. Vitamin D is another reason to get enough sunlight. As mentioned, SAD is a form of depression and should be treated as such. Sometimes it may lead to significant psychological disorders that require serious treatment. If you think you might have it, consult your doctor first. However, there are some things you can do on your own:
Get More Sunlight!
Do it preferably around midday, when the sun is still shining bright, even in winter.
Avoid directly looking at the sun though. If there is no chance for getting natural sunlight, consider buying yourself a light therapy lamp or a lightbox. They don’t cost a lot and can provide a suitable alternative to sunlight. This is true at least in terms of how the body reacts to the light and will provide the necessary hormonal response to it. Lightboxes usually have different light intensity settings, choose the most comfortable one for yourself. Some of them are USB-powered, which can be convenient when you are working on your laptop.
Just like with the real sun, avoid looking directly at the light, it is not necessary. You can easily combine light therapy with other activities, like working on a project, watching TV, cooking or even working out.
UV light should be avoided or filtered out during light therapy. White light is recommended, instead of “colored” light. The light safety of various colors has not been evaluated enough. The light should be uniform, without any individual bulbs visible. For the light intensity of 10,000 lux a 30-minute exposure time is recommended.
The internal clock usually runs a little longer than 24-hour cycles. It is closer to 24 hours and 11 minutes, and can vary several minutes ahead or behind for different people. This means that without light exposure you will tend to fall asleep later and later each day. Light therapy helps bring the internal clock to the right timing.
Consider a Serotonin Booster
Serotonin is a well-known hormone that regulates the mood. It can make all the difference between being happy or depressed.
Watch Your Caffeine Intake!
Consider switching from coffee to beverages that provide slow caffeine release, like matcha. This will help avoid caffeine spikes and, therefore mood swings.
Matcha is great in a form of ice cream too.
Try Substituting Caffeine for Something Else
For example for hot chocolate. It will give a necessary serotonin boost without overworking and fatiguing your adrenal system.
Watch Your Diet, Especially Fast Carbs Intake!
Fast carbs or any excessive meal will create insulin spikes that will lead to blood sugar fluctuations. This will directly reflect on the mood creating emotional “ups and downs”. Also, getting fat in itself can lead to depression.
Work on Self-Love
Reaching a state of self-love can make a lot of difference.
Clear the Energies in the Space You Spend Most of Your Time
Do your home energy clearing. Regular spring cleaning (wet cleaning) has a positive effect on the mood as well.
Go into Your Akashic Records
Simply enter you Records for 15 minutes a day, describe what you are experiencing and request that winter blues or SAD goes away. Just like with any other life situations, within a couple of weeks you should feel relief.
Take the Universal Sphere Session or Learn How to Do it Yourself
This new technique can bring a solution that you never knew existed. It will also create an uplifting mood and shed some heavy feelings.
Exercise
Life is meant to be lived in motion. Physical activity like TRX, for example, will shake off stagnant and heavy energies that weigh you down.
Do a Smudge on Yourself
Smudging with different herbs is a popular and very efficient procedure among the indigenous population of the US. It cleanses the auric bodies and clears away low-vibrational energies. This results in an uplifting feeling of lightness and clarity.
Clear Your Mind of Negative Thoughts
There are various very efficient techniques to do that. Repeating this every day for 21 days or more will rewire your subconscious to a positive state of being.
Do not Consume Alcohol in Order to Fall Asleep Easier
This is particularly true with hard liquor. Chances are, even if you will fall asleep faster, you will wake up in a few hours not being able to get back to sleep again. A glass or two of quality wine, however, may actually benefit sleep and overall health.
Stay well!
