How to overcome winter blues: 7 tips to try now
Are you suffering from a winter dip? Then read more about the causes and symptoms of a winter dip here. Also discover 7 handy tips to overcome your winter dip!
What is a winter dip?
You can speak of a winter dip when you suffer from a predominantly gloomy mood and a lack of energy in winter. If you suffer from depressive symptoms for at least two winters in a row, but not during the rest of the year, you may be suffering from winter depression, a more severe form of winter blues. In English, winter depression is also called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), indicating that it is a depression associated with the change of seasons. In this article, we describe the less severe but somewhat more common winter dip. We look at the causes and symptoms, but most importantly, what you can do to overcome your winter blues!
What are the causes of winter blues?
The exact causes of winter blues are not yet fully agreed upon by researchers. A winter dip is most likely caused by the decrease in daylight during the winter months. The days are shorter, reducing your exposure to daylight, plus the sun usually shines less often than in other seasons. In some people, this can trigger physical and mental effects that could explain the symptoms of a winter dip or winter depression.
Biological clock
According to some experts, your so-called biological clock can get confused during the dark winter months, affecting your sleep-wake rhythm, mood and energy levels, among other things. Your biological clock is not an organ, but consists of a group of neurons in your hypothalamus. Among other things, it influences when you feel awake and energetic, or sleepy and sluggish. In the winter months, disruption of the biological clock could cause you to feel sleepy even during the day and not feel like doing things.
Melatonin and serotonin
Some experts suspect that the dark winter months can disrupt the production of hormones such as melatonin (which affects your sleep rhythm) and serotonin (which affects your mood). That could also explain why you feel tired and a little down in the winter.
Psychological factors
In dark, cold and rainy weather, you may tend to stay inside more. This also affects your mood and energy levels and can lead to some of the symptoms of winter blues. After all, if you don’t leave your house much, you are also less exposed to daylight, fresh air, social contacts and exercise. This while these are important to feel fit, healthy and happy, especially in winter. One or more of these causes can lead to the symptoms of winter blues, or to a worse extent, winter depression.
What are the symptoms of winter blues?
If you experience the following symptoms during the winter months, you may be suffering from winter blues:
- Feeling gloomy most of the time
- Feeling tired and low on energy
- Feeling listless and less inclined to do anything
- Being irritable or more susceptible to stress
- Sleeping too much and having more trouble getting up
- Noticing changes in your diet and weight, for example, craving more carbohydrates
Winter depression is a worse and rarer version of winter blues and otherwise has the same symptoms as regular depression, but only occurs during the winter months. If you suffer greatly from this and struggle to function well in the winter, contact your doctor to discuss options for treating your winter depression. The tips below may not be sufficient then.
7 tips to overcome your winter blues!
1. Try to exercise a little more
Exercise is one of the best natural remedies for any dip. With exercise, your body automatically produces hormones that make you feel happier and more energized. Exercising outdoors has the added benefit of immediately exposing you to some extra daylight and fresh air. When you have a dip, it is sometimes difficult to get moving. Therefore, choose an activity that you really enjoy; it can also be dancing, or playing outside with children or pets. It also helps, for example, to go biking or hiking with friends or family members. Some extra social contact also counteracts your winter blues, and others can help you get into action.
2. Make sure you have regularity and rhythm
A winter dip can affect your sleep-wake rhythm. Some people have trouble falling asleep and/or difficulty getting up. Others prefer to sleep all day. The best advice in this case is to maintain a regular rhythm. Go to bed at set times and get up at set times. This promotes the quality of your sleep and therefore your mood and energy level during the day. Moreover, it allows you to get as much daylight as possible each day (provided you sleep when it’s dark and wake when it’s light). Don’t sleep much longer than necessary and prefer to go outside for a walk if you feel sleepy.
3. Try light therapy if you suffer from winter blues
Especially if you suffer from winter blues, regular exposure to daylight is essential. So try to go outside as much as possible, especially around noon, when sunlight is strongest. Being outside in daylight for at least 30 minutes daily can already reduce your winter blues, even on cloudy days. Sit near the window if you must be inside so you still catch natural light. Some days there is not enough daylight available. Then light therapy can help.
Daylight bulbs
Special daylight lamps are available for this purpose. They provide brighter light, with more different wavelengths, than regular lamps. In most cases, you need to sit in front of such a lamp for about 20 to 30 minutes to notice the effect. Generally, the morning is the best time for this. The light can trigger chemical reactions in your brain that can reduce your symptoms of winter blues. For some people, this form of light therapy is not appropriate. That may include people with eye conditions or people taking certain medications or herbs that make you more sensitive to light, such as antibiotics or St. John’s wort. Ideally, consult with your doctor before using a daylight lamp, also to see which lamp is best, what light intensity is appropriate for you and how long you should use the lamp per session.
Light Alarm
Some people with winter blues also benefit greatly from a light alarm clock. This slowly begins to give off more and more light before you have to get up, helping you to wake up gradually, just as the rising sun would in the other seasons.
4. Overcome a winter dip with vitamin D
Sunlight helps our bodies make vitamin D. According to some experts, vitamin D deficiency can also cause depressive symptoms. Consult with your doctor about whether you are vitamin D deficient and whether you can possibly take supplements to bring your vitamin D levels to the right level. In any case, make sure you catch as much sunlight as possible and also consider adding some more foods with vitamin D to your menu, such as oily fish and eggs.
5. Maintain your social contacts
When you are feeling gloomy and tired, you often feel less inclined to engage in social interaction. Still, it is worthwhile to maintain your social contacts and still keep meeting up with your favorite friends and family members. Research shows that isolation can trigger depressive feelings. Tell your loved ones about your predisposition to winter blues and winter depression, and they may be able to contact you regularly to see how you are doing. Possibly sign up before the winter months for activities that are good for your mood, such as sports or dance classes, or interesting courses, for example. Then you will have a stick to get among people even in winter.
6. Pamper yourself occasionally if you suffer from winter blues
You can also combat the symptoms of your winter blues a bit by occasionally pampering yourself during the winter months. Make an appointment to go to the spa or sauna, treat yourself to a visit to the hairdresser or beauty salon, or get a massage. Of course, you can also take a hot shower or (foot) bath at home with your favorite skin care products, followed by, for example, a mask or a massage with essential oils (diluted in a base oil). Aromatherapy could also have a positive effect on the symptoms of winter blues. Lavender oil in particular could help against a gloomy mood, as well as anxiety or stress. This oil can also help if you have sleep problems. Peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil work invigorating if you are sleepy or have low energy. Rosemary oil can make you feel clear-headed. Also try orange oil, for a happy, summer feeling!
7. Make sure you keep eating healthy
According to studies, a winter slump can make you want to eat more and especially crave more carbohydrates. When you have a dip and feel lethargic, it is also more tempting to reach for easy meals, which are not always healthy. High-carbohydrate meals or fast food may not counteract your symptoms of winter blues and may even worsen them. Therefore, make sure you still keep eating healthy. Eat foods with enough protein, B vitamins and omega 3, because you need them for your brain to produce the neurotransmitters that keep your a mood and energy levels balanced. Making sure you get enough vitamins and minerals also helps you feel fit. This in turn makes it easier to do the other things that help you overcome your winter blues, such as going outside, exercising and engaging in social activities. Vitamins and minerals from food are generally better than those from supplements. Our juices give you a quick and easy way to get healthy nutrients from fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Be sure to check out the juices Energy, Reboot, Fuel, Boost, Recharge and, of course, Sunny!
Sources:
