The Winter Blues

During the winter months, particularly this year when people have struggled so much with other issues, the winter blues can become a real issue. When the temperature begins to drop and the long dark nights draw in it’s natural for people to feel a bit “blue”. The full blown medical condition for this is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which has clinical symptoms. The NHS defines SAD as a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.

However, most people suffer from sub clinical symptoms such as low energy, lack of motivation, fatigue and just generally feeling a little bit lethargic.

There are a number of simple strategies to overcome this. The first one is to simply recognise that is happening and it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. Some anthropologists suggest it is a throw back to our evolutionary development where many of our ancestors would have hibernated throughout the Northern hemisphere winters and that we’re fighting against our natural instincts by using artificial lights and carbohydrates (which would have been scarce in the winter) trying to create an artificial year long summer. How much truth there is in this theory is up for debate but it does make sense that during the long dark winters we feel tired and sometimes lack a little motivation when our bodies would traditionally have been slowing down.

A simple tip to lift your mood is to get as much natural daylight as you can in the winter months. A short walk at lunch time or even walking into the office in the early morning sunlight can lift your mood a little. Exercise is another great way to boost your mood, even better if you can exercise outdoors in the daylight during the winter months. However, an indoor gym session or a swim will still perk up your mood and get the endorphins surging around your body.

Another important factor is managing your stress levels. Stress can affect your mood at any time but it may be particularly problematic in the winter when you’re feeling a bit lower than normal. Simple stress relieving activities can be breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or even stroking a pet. Try and work in at least one stress busting activity into your schedule every day in order to keep the winter blues at bay.

If getting natural light outside is difficult for whatever reason then make sure your desk is set up near a window and try and get as much natural light every day as you can. If this proves difficult then you can use special lamps called light boxes that emit blue light (natural light) which is one of the prescribed treatments for SAD. Just a few minutes in front of one of these lamps every day can really lift your mood.

Vitamin D levels drop in the winter and this has been shown to affect mood. While low levels of Vitamin D have always been linked with rickets and bone fractures recent research has linked low Vitamin D status with immune system disfunction, which explains why respiratory and other seasonal illnesses increase in the winter. But it also turns out that lower levels of Vitamin D are also associated with higher incidences of depression and other mood related ailments. While it’s difficult to get enough sunlight to increase your Vitamin d naturally in the winter it is possible to supplement. Most chemists and supermarkets sell Vitamin D capsules and it is also found in Cod Liver Oil which is another popular supplement.

So to round up this article you can expect to feel a little sluggish and lacking in motivation in the depths of winter and this is perfectly normal but there are things you can do to alleviate many of the symptoms. We have discussed a number of these strategies in this article and also quick and easy ways you can employ them every day into your daily schedule.