Are You SAD in the Winter?

by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Jan 3, 2018 | Blog

We’ve only officially been in winter for a few weeks, but many people start feeling the effects of less daylight and colder temperatures starting around October or November.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that fluctuates according to the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer.

About six percent of the U.S. population, primarily in northern regions, is affected by SAD in its most marked form, characterized by feeling depressed and hopeless nearly every day, along with an inability to enjoy activities, difficulty concentrating and feeling tired or agitated. Another 14 percent suffers from a lesser form of SAD, known as winter blues, whose symptoms include low energy, weight gain, craving carbohydrates and social withdrawal.

Here are some strategies to get you through the winter doldrums, whether you experience full-blown SAD or the more mild winter blues:

• Get as much direct exposure to sunlight as possible.
• Since being out in the sun can be difficult this time of year, either due to cold temperatures or long work days inside, consider purchasing artificial “sunbox” lights. Their special fluorescent tubes mimic the sun’s beneficial rays (plain lights don’t have the same effect). 
• Keep or start an exercise routine. If it’s not too cold out and it’s a sunny day, try to walk outside to reap the benefits of being in natural sunshine—but even if you work out indoors, it will have a positive impact on your mood.
• Turn up the heat (between 64 and 70 degrees) and drink hot beverages.
• Eat healthy foods, with a focus on fruits and vegetables. That’s good advice any time of year, but especially important in winter when your cravings for sugar and carbohydrates tend to increase.
• Don’t give in to the urge to isolate. Seeing friends and attending social functions are crucial to putting a damper on the blues.
• Keep active by engaging your creative side, whether it be taking up a new hobby or reintroducing a former favorite pastime. Take advantage of classes at your adult education center or library. Not only will your spirits pick up but you may make some new social connections.
• Take up meditation and other mindfulness-based practices. You can find literally thousands of guided meditations on a free app called Insight Timer.

Finally, if your depression is severe and impacting your ability to function, it’s important that you seek help from a mental health professional. To contact North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, call (516) 626-1971.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686645/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder/index.shtml

https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/beating-winters-woes#1

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/dealing-with-winter-blues-sad.aspx

New Years’ Resolutions for Mental Health

by North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center | Dec 28, 2017 | Blog

Tis the season to make New Year’s Resolutions. Most lists contain wishes to lose weight, exercise, get a promotion at work…all very worthwhile goals. But what’s missing from many lists is what you can do to promote your mental health and that of your loved ones. Here are a few ideas:

1. Start an exercise program. Yes, we just said that’s on everyone’s “usual” list of resolutions, but exercise benefits your brain as much as your body. Studies indicate that a minimum of a half hour of cardio three times a week boosts mental health by decreasing anxiety and depression while improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise also increases self-confidence.
2. Exercise your creative muscles. Scrapbooking is one hobby that anyone can do, and if you use it to express your fondest desires and favorite things, it will help you take strides in the direction of those dreams. Other possibilities include writing poems, painting or playing an instrument. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection, just free and playful expression!
3. Express your love and appreciation to those in your life. Think your spouse or kids already know you love them? Use your words and your actions to get the message across every day. Close and happy relationships are key to living a healthy and fulfilling life.
4. Turn off your electronics and spend an “old-fashioned” day playing board games, taking walks, meeting a friend for coffee—whatever activity brings a smile to your face. Share this practice with your kids and teens, whose brains are still developing and are more susceptible to the negative impacts of screen time overload.
5. Spend some time with your favorite four-footed furry friend.  Having pets helps prevent loneliness and anxiety—and studies show that being with animals lowers the stress hormone cortisol and boosts the happy hormone oxytocin. Animals are great therapy for kids, too; they can help tame fear and anxiety. If you don’t have a pet, consider volunteering at an animal shelter. 
6. Think meditation is too difficult, and that you can’t sit still long enough for it to work? Then try walking meditation. Head outside (bundle up if needed) and take a walk through your neighborhood or a nearby park. The buzzword is “mindfulness,” and it’s simply training your brain to stay present in your surroundings rather than fearing the future or obsessing about the past.

Happy, healthy New Year to all!

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/

http://time.com/4728315/science-says-pet-good-for-mental-health/