All around the world, people are fighting their annual struggles with seasonal depression. Although we may love dressing up for Halloween or decorating the Christmas tree, this time of year comes with more downers than you think. The weather is getting colder, it is starting to get pitch black at four in the afternoon and the holiday season creates lots of added stress. Host Oni Higgins sits down with Dr. Jessica Bourshok to give you some quick and easy tips to deal with your mental health!
How to manage your mental health
- Go outside as much as you can. Anytime you are in a cold, dreary and dark place, it is hard to not get affected by these conditions. You’re going to feel a little bit low, and that is OK! Bourshok explains that the important thing is to get outside as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be 75 and sunny for you to enjoy some time outdoors. Even if it is overcast, being able to get outdoors is vital! Exposure to nature, fresh air and natural lighting will help better your overall mood.
- Make time for connection. Your natural instinct is to withdraw from people and hide when you’re feeling down. Making sure you carve out time for connecting with your friends and family is key to keeping up your mood!
- Reboot your mind. There is lots of uncertainty happening in the world. When that happens, our mind typically tries to search for answers. When this happens, you need to pause and take a second to reflect on the things you can and can’t control. If you can focus on the aspects of your life that you can control, you will find the list to be surprisingly more manageable than what you can’t.
For more on managing your mental health, check out this article!
