Fighting Back Against The Winter Blues
As the temperatures drop and it starts to get dark earlier, many people around the globe will suffer from the winter blues. Also known as ‘winter depression’, and officially known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
The winter blues causes changes and disturbances in sleep patterns, eating habits and mood, and can affect an individuals ability to function. This can be especially debilitating in the beginning months of the new year, where the holiday season ends and people begin to return to ‘normality’.
Similar to depression, some of the symptoms of the winter blues are:
Tiredness/Fatigue
Feeling down and/or having a lack of hope
Excessive eating
Disturbances in sleep leading to insomnia or oversleeping
Suicidal thoughts*
Feeling isolated or isolating oneself
*SAD can affect anyone and is not limited to those with a prior history of mental health problems. If you find yourself suffering, you are not alone. According to NHS inform, SAD affects around “2 million people in the UK and more than 12 million people across northern Europe”. Additionally, “It can affect people of any age, including children.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can get in contact with your organisations such as the National Suicide Prevention Helpline (0800 689 5652) or Samaritans (116 123).
I have provided a link to a website where you can locate local services for assistance:
Fighting Back
While routine is one of the most important things someone can do for their mental health, it’s important during this time to add or make specific changes to a regular routine to allow for the best chance of fighting back.
Developing a routine that is winter specific can lay the foundation for strengthening resolve and overcoming the struggles associated with the cold and limited sunlight.
Acknowledge your feelings
The first step towards beginning to feel better is to acknowledge that you aren’t doing okay in the first place. Supressing feelings of isolation and depression only lead to more issues down the road. Also known as the avoidance roundabout, by not dealing with the feelings that present, you rob yourself of the ability to tackle them. Furthermore, they may present in more damaging ways like increased stress. This can lead to further worsening of initial symptoms e.g. sleep or fatigue issues.
The Avoidance Roundabout:
When we use our available resources to avoid psychological and mental pain, we are robbed of long-term satisfaction in exchange for short-term relief. Resources that could be spent on having positive experiences, are instead used to firmly lodge us into an eternal loop of suffering.
Set Boundaries
Set clear boundaries to protect your mental and emotional well-being. It's okay to decline invitations or limit social engagements. Social interaction can do a lot for our mental well-being. However, While isolating does little if anything at all to manage the symptoms of the winter blues, if the risks associated outweigh the benefits, social interaction can do a lot more damage than good. Ideally we want a support group around us that understand and are willing to let us feel the way we feel. Offering a helping and supportive hand when needed. This is not always the case though. If surrounded by people that make us feel guilty for our emotions , this can cause shame and, similar to above, lead to the worsening of those initial symptoms.
Seek Support
It’s okay to not be okay and asking for support during those times is also okay.
If feeling overwhelmed, it can help to reach out to friends and family, your GP or a mental health professional. Sharing your thoughts and seeking help is a sign of strength and can provide valuable perspectives and coping strategies.
Prioritise Self-Care
With the symptoms associated with SAD and the limited sunlight, it’s easy to fall into a trap of engaging in unhealthy habits that make us feel good in the short term but worse off overall. Such as over-indulging in unhealthy foods and drinks.
We are only human and we crave comfort. A treat here and there can make us feel a whole lot better. However, while okay in moderation, it’s important to take care not to let that be the whole “pie”. Implementing warm and healthy foods and drinks into our diet gives us the essential vitamins (such as vitamin D that may be lacking due to less sunlight) and nutrients to function as well as helps tackle the cold. It also goes towards providing longer lasting energy boosts without the crash.
Additionally, dedicating a small section of your day to moving around helps release endorphins that aid towards feeling happier. It’s not necessary to do an intense workout for hours, but a short walk of twenty minutes may help. If possible, you can “bake two cakes in one pan” by allocating this time to walking outside during daylight, giving yourself the best chance of getting as much of that much needed Vitamin-D as possible.
Lean into it
As we transition from warmer to colder weather and from more daylight to less, the things we used to do during those months become a bit trickier to do complete. Less daylight and colder weather means less trips to the beach and less time outside. By mourning what was and not accepting what could be, this can add to the despair felt for those suffering from the ‘winter blues’.
While it would be great to be omnipotent, being able to change the weather and increase the daylight hours, that simply isn’t possible. Instead, what we can do is accept the circumstances for what they are and change alongside them. Just as animals forage for food in the spring/summer and hibernate during the colder months, we too can make surviving easier by allowing ourselves the liberty of feeling more relaxed and at ease during these times.
An example of this could be engaging in certain acts such as wearing a dressing gown, making ourselves a hot chocolate and putting a familiar comforting movie on. Not being afraid of the winter, but instead embracing and making the most of it. By accepting, you free yourself from the burden of those expectations we all place upon ourselves, understanding that sometimes certain things aren’t possible and we must change in order to feel at ease.
What works for one person may not work for another and vice-versa. It’s important to understand your own limitations of what you can and cant do. Don’t be hard on yourself or others if you find you or they are unable to find the strength to implement some of these tips. Instead, again understand that you are only human and gently remind yourself that:
it’s okay to not be okay.
-By Patrick
References:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/low-mood-and-depression/beating-the-winter-blues/
