Written by Marissa Hoen | December 14 2021
For so many of us, the holiday season can be an emotional time. This is our second winter dealing with the restrictions of the coronavirus, limiting our options to spend time with family and friends. On top of that, some of us experience seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which doesn’t help us stay positive through the gray Victoria days. All right, now that the doom and gloom is out there- let’s shift our focus. Let’s launch into the middle of December with strategies to keep our hearts happier- let’s focus on the things we CAN change.
Tips to take home:
Stay Active. If you are already feeling down, this one can be difficult to start but you won’t regret it. With MOVE closing for holiday break, you will need to be a bit more creative by exercising at home or while out and about. When I’m feeling down and don’t want to move my body, I tell myself I will only do 5 minutes of whatever movement I actually enjoy. Once I get moving I find more often than not, I end up exercising for longer than planned and almost always feel better than when I started. Another option is to follow a guided YouTube workout so you don’t overthink it!
Spend time with those you love. Whether it’s on a phone call or at the mall, the people you love will help you through. I like to combine family time and movement by doing yoga sessions with my Dad via Zoom. Even though he’s thousands of miles away, we can connect, laugh, and get a great workout done together.
Book an appointment. During winter, my motivation is at an all time low- so I don’t depend on it to get things done! Instead, I will proactively book appointments to ensure I am not spending all of the winter season alone. These appointments might be counseling/therapy, massage, light therapy (which I’ll talk more about in the next tip), a ticket to Butchart gardens to see the Christmas Lights- anything experience that sparks some excitement should be plopped in the calendar to give you something to look forward to.
Light therapy. For those who experience seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression “with a seasonal pattern, typically occurring in the autumn and winter with remission in the spring or summer” (Kurlansik & Ibay, 2012), light therapy may be right for you. A study comparing 30 minutes a day of white light therapy to antidepressant medication (fluoxetine) found that both were effective at reducing depressive symptoms, and light therapy resulted in quicker improvements. As an alternative to clinical light therapy, I recommend getting outside into the sun whenever it chooses to emerge!
Practice Gratitude. This may sound a little hippy for those who have never tried it, but simply shifting your attention to all the things you are grateful for is a quick and effective way to feel more positive no matter the season. In this world we are constantly reminded of the negatives that surround us, making it all too easy to ruminate and fall into a negative thought spiral. Take a moment, take a breath, write down or say out loud whatever you know you are grateful for. Repeat it again and again until you really feel that sense of hope, the sense of calm and happiness- even if it’s just for a moment. I am grateful for you, whoever is reading this, for making it this far and for taking steps toward a happier winter.
Wishing you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays!
References
Lam, R. W., Levitt, A. J., Levitan, R. D., Enns, M. W., Morehouse, R., Michalak, E. E., & Tam, E. M. (2006). The can-SAD study: A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of light therapy and fluoxetine in patients with winter seasonal affective disorder. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(5), 805-812. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.805
Kurlansik, S. L., PhD, & Ibay, A. D., MD. (2012). Seasonal affective disorder. American Family Physician, 86(11), 1037-1041.