Although we may love decorating the Christmas tree, this time of year comes with more downers than you think. Seasonal depression disorder (or seasonal affective disorder, aka SAD) is a form of depression that occurs every year around the same time, usually in the fall or winter months. The weather is getting colder, it’s starting to get pitch black at four in the afternoon, and the holiday season affects our mental health. But many people go undiagnosed and/or untreated because they think it’s just part of typical winter blues or holiday stress. But many cases can be treated with these five tips for seasonal depression prevention.
How to manage your mental health in the winter
- Craft a morning routine. If you are currently suffering from seasonal depression disorder, it can be hard to get up in time for work. To combat these feelings, try waking up 15 minutes earlier, and instead of immediately scrolling social media, get up and do a series of yoga poses or stretches. Yoga is great for releasing endorphins into your body, and endorphins help fight off depression!
- 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.
- Get enough sleep each night. Sleep can make all the difference when you’re battling seasonal depression disorder. In fact, doctors have even found that people who don’t get enough shut-eye during seasonal changes are more likely to develop SAD—particularly if they also live in a cold and dark climate. Make sure you’re getting at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
- 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.
This 2020 post has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
