Winter blues: how to prevent this season from affecting our mood.
Autumn begins…the cold season that anticipates winter and with it less sun, shorter days, low temperatures, frequent rain, the leaves fall down, there is no more flowers, the landscape turn into grey and dark…
These changes can negatively influence our mood and decrease our physical-emotional well-being making us feel sadder, anxious, listless, tired or less socially interested.
Therefore, I leave you this list with ideas to apply that I found useful to combat these effects and if you believe to need a personal space to find psychological guidance on this or another topic, do not hesitate to contact me:
www.complicated.life/en/find-a-therapist/munich/agustina-salinas
Go out.
Avoid staying indoors all day. Instead, take advantage of natural sunlight as much as possible and breathe fresh air. If your job is a home-office, plan your time and make time every day to go for a walk, run, shop or ride your bike. Changing the environment even favours concentration and provides an extra boost of energy.
Take care of our diet.
As much as possible, the smallest change makes a difference. A balanced diet, rich in nutrients and minerals is important to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies, particularly the famous vitamin D that is often associated with the lack of sunshine typical of this time of year, as well as helping our proper mental functioning and avoiding hormonal imbalances that can impact mood.
Keep active.
An hour of daily walking during the day or regular exercise (weight training, swimming, yoga, biking, running or any sport) promotes the release of endorphins, helps the body expend energy and promotes better sleep.
Practice an enjoyable activity.
Keep our minds active and engaged in something that gives us pleasure, interest and promotes our creativity and/or relaxation. It can be anything from joining a new gym class to singing, cooking, writing, meditating, reading or learning something new.
Socialize
Even if the cold and tiredness of the workday detract from your motivation, make an effort to maintain your social ties. Being in community, getting together with significant others, talking frequently with them and avoiding isolation is one of the keys to fighting the winter blues. According to Steve Cole, director of the Central Laboratory for Social Genomics at the University of California, Los Angeles. "People who feel lonely can develop weakened immune cells that have trouble fighting viruses, making them more vulnerable to some infectious diseases."
Improve your space
Make our usual space a place to your liking, a cozy and comfortable place you want to be: comforting, energetic, clean, tidy. Add lights, colors, plants, pictures or whatever you like. Or even...removing what you don't like or represent you.
“Create" your sunlight
While natural sunlight is the best option, you can alleviate its scarce availability by opting for artificial led lights. Many people benefit from light therapy in the winter. Lighting our workspace with a powerful lamp, stronger than the conventional household lamp, or spending more than an hour a day in front of a bright light can help minimize the effects of the lack of sun.
Talk and seek professional guidance
Through focused brief psycho-educational therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Expressing your emotions, mapping out an action plan and learning tools to help you deal with this or other conflicts or reach goals can help you find long-term solutions and improve your overall well-being.
