Do you remember the first time you heard or learned about Seasonal Affective Disorder?
I learned about SAD when I went through it. I'd heard of the winter blues but I thought it was just something people said because of the snow and darker days. To be honest I love both of those things, well only during the holidays and then the sun can come back once they're over lol. But seriously, I had no clue that it was a real thing or how much of an affect the weather changing could have on your mental and emotional health. That was until my first year in Germany, back in 2016.
If you've ever been to Germany then you know it gets a different kind of dark there. Mix that with the cold, I was just not prepared. That first year it was just me not wanting to leave the couch or bed, I could've taken a nap at anytime. My entire being just felt run down. I couldn't figure it out. I thought it was just because of the recent move. So I just let it run its course. Winter 2017 came around and it was like a freight train. I wasn't myself, it was horrendous. The things that use to make me happy were problems, it was just awful.
I happened to be doing some research for a challenge in my oil community and I ran across a page talking about SAD. All of the symptoms that were mentioned was everything I was feeling. So I did more research and more research until I was convinced and then made an appointment. I was given some great info and advice but I wanted to make sure that I honored a natural way without disrupting my body more than it already was. Thankfully I was able to find tools that helped me dang near instantly.
The first day of winter is on the 21st and while it can mean a beautiful back drop for your selfies or family outings it can also mean a shift in internal balance and having the right tools, for you, can be a life saver and mean the difference between being able to enjoy the winter season or living in misery.
Yes, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that is triggered by the changes in sunlight or daylight and the weather. Some of the symptoms of SAD can be things like; a decrease in energy and increase in moodiness. There are lots of resources out there to help you find the right tools so you can manage anything the winter blues brings your way. I want to share with you the tools that helped me.
Remember that we are all different, so use what works or sounds good to you and leave what doesn't. Be sure to check in with your health care provider, as well.
❄️ Get in sunlight whenever it's available or grab a Happy Light if you're some where the sun just refuses
to cooperate. Light therapy is a great way to trick your brain into releasing those amazing mood-boosting chemicals that can help so much with the lows that comes with SAD.
❄️ Up your vitamin D with supplements. To all my military friends, I know that the clinic (at some locations) will give them to you so make a stop there if it's more convenient for you. My go-to's for added vitamin D are OmegaGize and Super D. OmegaGize is like a super fish oil supplement. It has the power of omega-3 fatty acids and CoQ10. But what I got it for was the D3. All of these together are great supports of your brain and so much more. It was like night and day when I started using this. Eventually YL came out with Super D, which contains 250% of your vitamin d. This is a great supplement to support mood and hormone regulation, along with so much more, exactly what I was looking for.
❄️ Don't oversleep. For me this was so hard to not do. When you're feeling low all you want to do is sleep, but the more you just sleep you keep your body in the lower state -- you keep your serotonin levels low.
❄️ Schedule in fun things. I made sure to have fun activities lined up with the fam, even just a board game
at home was so helpful. I found that when I still did the things that made me happy when the sun was out during the colder months it boosted my mood. It was like carrying the longer days with. It also helped with not completely going into hibernation. When I would isolate myself it only made it worse. Getting out was big for me.
❄️ Eat as healthy as you can. This is another one that can be hard because we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, when the days get shorter and colder, the sweet treats and comfort food are every where. Don't restrict yourself, definitely enjoy those things that make you happy, just be mindful of the amount of sugars and things like that because they can make it worse.
❄️ Check-in with yourself. Make time for yourself so you can be aware of any other changes. Schedules are changing, lots of things are going on and it can bring stress. Hold space for you to just breathe and answer the question "how am I?"
❄️ Lastly, bust out all the happy oils. Make your roller recipes and get them in your diffusers as often as you can. Citrus oils are my go-to oils when I need a boost. Molecules in oils are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and impact areas of our brain that control feelings of anxiety and depression. Each citrus oils has its own mood related benefits a couple of my faves are Orange and Bergamot.
Here are a few recipes to try, they are perfect for roller recipes or your diffuser:
Orange + Peppermint
Bergamot + Frankincense + Lime
Lemon + Rosemary + Peppermint
Winter doesn't have to bring you down, it can be just as fun as the warmers we just have to be a little more intentional about taking care of our internal balance.
Stay healthy sis
0 Comments