Lifestyle

Seasonal depression affects many including myself.

In Washington, I believe we’re experiencing our coldest October in a really long time. News articles are saying we’re about to experience the coldest winter in years. This naturally upsets me because I’m not the biggest fan of cold weather. Especially when it’s below 50 degrees. I am also somebody who suffers from seasonal depression. Knowing that many others suffer from the same thing, I’m determined to provide some tips to help! 

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Make a Cozy Environment

A few of the things that I love during the cold and dark months are candles, fluffy blankets, fuzzy socks, and buying some cute home decor. Lighting some candles and hanging up some string lights is just so relaxing to me. It definitely creates a cozy environment. We find ourselves indoors most of the time when it’s rainy and cold outside so I think it’s important to make your indoor environment as relaxing and cozy as possible.

One of my favorite candle brands right now is Chesapeake Bay and they have the best candles for relaxation! I highly recommend their “Balance and Harmony” candle.

Stay Active

Even if it’s cold outside, try to find time to go for a walk. Fresh air is always a good idea and you’d be surprised how refreshed you’ll feel afterward. Also, stay consistent with working out! It’s so easy for seasonal depression to consume you and you’ll quickly lose any motivation to workout so you need to stay on top of it. A great thing about keeping up with your workouts is you can stay active at home. So no more, “I can’t make it to the gym today.”

One of my favorite products to use at home is the Simply Fit Board for abs, legs, and core. This is an “As Seen on TV” product but it actually works and its pretty fun. Especially because you can watch tv in the comfort of your home at the same time.

I also have a mini-trampoline for cardio. I have a small studio apartment and it totally works without taking up a lot of space. For this, I made a fun cardio playlist on Spotify that I put on Shuffle for my workout. It’s small but powerful!

Make Goals & Plan

This tip I’m going to stress the most. It’s no secret that seasonal depression makes you feel uninspired and lazy. Take back that control and invest in a planner. My tip is on every Sunday, take time to write down everything that needs to get done that week. This can be bills that need to be paid, your work hours, errands, and appointments. Not only will you be more structured that week but you’ll get a sense of motivation to get it done!

Ever since purchasing my Erin Condren LifePlanner, my life has honestly been so much more organized and I’ve been accomplishing so much more in my life. Plus they’re so cute so why not invest in one? If you’d like an inside look at mine, here’s a blog post all about it!

Make Healthy Choices

I’m a person that tends to get sick a lot during winter but that can be prevented.

• Drink at least 6 glasses of water daily
• Make healthy meals (Pinterest has many recipes!)
• Get enough sleep
• Keep that workout routine going
• Take your vitamins! (See below)

One Vitamin You Need

I think it’s a no brainer when I say we all need to take our vitamins because we should be doing that 365 days a year, right? But there’s one vitamin that I don’t believe we think about, especially in the winter. Vitamin D.

Did you know that most people are Vitamin D deficient? Our main and biggest source of Vitamin D is from the sunshine. Vitamin D helps keep our bones strong, teeth healthy and helps us from getting sick. But if during the winter months, we’re hardly seeing or getting enough sun, chances are we’re not getting enough of this important vitamin. You may say, “Oh but I drink milk” but milk simply doesn’t provide enough of that vitamin that we need. Especially if you’re lactose intolerant!

You can buy Vitamin D3 supplements at the store to make sure you’re getting a good source of Vitamin D every day!

Therapy Light

Saving the best tip for last! Some days are just so dark and no matter what tips I give you, you just want the sun. Well, I can’t ask the sun to come out but I can recommend a therapy light that gives your body the sensation of real sunshine! It puts out 10,000 lux and it’s UV free. Doctors all over have been recommending Therapy Lights for people with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Some benefits of this therapy light are:

• Promotes better sleep/wake patterns
• Improves your mood
• Increase your energy and motivation
• Helps you stay focused!

Let’s Have A Happier Winter!

Those are my 6 tips to combat Seasonal Depression! I can’t provide miracles but I’m hoping some of these tips can help you! I’m personally taking up all of them (buying that therapy light this week!) because this winter, I don’t want the seasonal blues to get me.

Let me know if you do any of these tips or plan to!

Thank you so much for reading. ♥