Winter Blues

Are you sick of winter?  Eating lots of junk food?  Tired all the time?  No motivation, and in a lousy mood?

This time of the year, many people suffer from the winter blues.  It’s a common, mild depression caused by a decrease in sunlight. When days get shorter and there is less sunlight, people can experience changes in their energy level, moods, and ability to concentrate.  These factors can cause problems not only with relationships, but with normal daily challenges.

Do you have several of these symptoms?

·         Increased feelings of being tired

·         Difficulty waking up in the mornings

·         Difficulty concentrating and thinking creatively in comparison to the summer months

·         Incorrectly blaming yourself for things that go wrong

·         Difficulty with tasks that normally seem to be easy/enjoyable

·         Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich food like chocolate and sodas

What Can You Do?

...Exercise helps fight the blues and reduce stress too.

...Eat larger portions of complex carbohydrates, like pasta and rice, and healthy simple carbohydrates like fruits--and stay away from unhealthy snacks.

...Try to limit sleep to 8-hour periods, set a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time each day & make an effort to expose yourself to sunlight in the early morning. 

...Also, multiple studies found that the majority of those suffering from the winter blues experienced relief use of lamps that produce similar effects to the sun’s natural rays.

So if you are feeling down this winter, remember that it’s a natural thing that a lot of people go through.  Take care of yourself, eat right, sleep well and take advantage of the sun whenever it peeks through!