It can be easy to feel a little down in the winter months. Inclement weather and low temperatures can keep us inside for long periods of time, preventing us from going out to do the things we enjoy. There is actual science behind why people can get the winter blues, and ways to combat it.

 

Keep it light

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a depression disorder that is linked to the changing weather, and the darker days that come along with the winter months. According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms include “feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, and having low energy.” The good news is that these symptoms “go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer,” and If you need treatment for SAD, the options available are light therapy and anti-depressants. There are a number of SAD lights available on the market for home use, but it’s probably best to consult a healthcare professional to find out which one is right for you.

 

Get some Ds

Vitamin D functions as a hormone and is crucial to bone health and our immune system. We get small amounts of it through consuming things like fatty fish and fortified foods like milk, but mostly we get it through the sunshine. Unfortunately, depending on where we live, many of us don’t have a lot of opportunity to catch some rays during the darkest days of the year. According to Franziska Spritzler at Healthline, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to getting sick often, fatigue and tiredness, bone and back pain, and depression. She says, “Slow healing of wounds after surgery or injury may be a sign that your vitamin D levels are too low.” Luckily, if you can’t get adequate amounts of vitamin D via the sun or your diet, there are supplements available over the counter.

 

Don’t Push Yourself

Releasing endorphins through exercise can help combat the winter woes but know your limits. Harvard Health says, “As temperatures start to fall, your risk of a heart attack begins to climb.” Activities like shoveling snow in the cold can cause you to overexert yourself and make your heart work too hard.

Healthy Eating

Eat healthy

You may catch yourself craving starchy carbs and candy that’ll make you feel even more sluggish in the end. If this is the case, try to eat a nutritious, balanced diet so your body doesn’t feel even worse. Healthline has compiled a medically reviewed list of foods that may help you beat the winter blues. They recommend eating things like beef and fortified cereals to boost your intake of vitamin B-12 because, “low levels of vitamin B-12 in the blood are associated with depression.”

 

Take care of yourself, and the first signs of spring will be here before you know it.