The Winter Blues

Winter, for me, is a time of excitement, the upcoming Christmas Season with all the celebrations, an escape from the heat of summer, and most of all, snow. And this year, the snow has been in abundance. The multiple inches, leading to running in the snow with Reggie the Wonder Dog, sledding with my children, snow ball fights, and building an igloo in the front yard, which my daughter enjoyed eating snacks in and my son and the neighborhood boys enjoyed destroying with body slams. And oh, the beauty of a snow covered landscape, even more so in the light of the moon.

And at the same time, many of use are not fond of this season. I spoke to an Elder in the elevator the other day who stated to me, "This snow is hard on people of my age and very dangerous". I had empathy for what he was saying, as I'm concerned for my mother’s welfare when snow and ice cover the walks and streets of her town. For many, winter also leads to what many call the "winter blues".

Feeling down during the winter months has many names and the emotions of winter can be caused for different reasons, such as changes in seasons, spending more time indoors, increased isolation and being alone, and decreased light that is common with the winter months. There are some steps we can take to help us emotionally and spiritually during these winter months and here are just a few:

1. Volunteer. Serving others is a great way to energize the spirit, become socially active, and improve your emotional wellbeing. Volunteering can create a purpose or mission in life that can increase meaning and decrease depressing emotions.
2. Do Something: Tackling a forgotten project, accomplishing a task, beginning indoor home improvement projects, organizing and removing clutter, are examples of projects and indoor activities you can complete to stimulate your brain and keep active in the indoor winter months.
3. Exercise: The cold can cause us to want to stay inside and increase sedentary activities. Get outside when possible and enjoy the simple exercise of walking. Exposure to the sun can assist in the winter blues and positive affect your mood. Phototherapy, the exposure to very bright light, much brighter than normal house lighting, is often used in the treatment of seasonal affect disorder. Get to the gym or exercise at home, using home equipment or one of the many good exercise DVD programs.
4. Watch the sweets. What we eat, and our tendency to eat more sweets during the holiday season and winter months, can affect how you feel. Ensure you are eating a healthy diet with occasional sweets.
5. Spend time with friends and family: Improve your mood by spending time with positive and support family and friends. This helps to eliminate loneliness and isolation. And remember, these days, we have online networks we can connect with at almost any time of the day or night.
6. Prayer and Meditation: Reframe alone time into quality time to practice prayer and meditation. Light a candle, add soothing music, get comfortable, and take advantage of the time to do nothing, to just be, in peace and serenity. And if you’re a reader, add reading a book, devotional, or journal.

I encourage us all to find joy in the moment, even if the moment is full of white powder that we don't care for and that seems to affect our emotions and our freedom. Find joy where you can and with those you love and who care for you. Keep connected and remember, with seasons, all things pass, and spring and summer is just around the corner.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

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