3 Tips To Help Beat Seasonal Depression

Seasonal depression can come without even realizing. While most of us can feel comforted when autumn rolls around, not everyone feels that way. You may love the comfort of candles, warm jumpers, the falling golden leaves and mugs of hot chocolate, but some people need good sunlight to function, especially if they’ve been used to that their entire life. You could escape to Austrlia for a little while of course, summer is just starting there, but that’s not always on the cards.

The one thing about seasonal depression is that you don’t always realize it’s present until the spring comes again. Are there ways to beat that growing sense of ennui? Well, some people have different techniques. You might prefer to keep a solid sleeping schedule so you at least know you’re getting eight hours. Some people shift their schedules, waking up a bit earlier to work, so at least they leave the office when the sun is still out. Maybe you use your herbal teas or leafy medical card to relax in the evening and feel less dour. 

Whatever your preference, we think the following tips could work for most people:

Get Light When You Can

Your body craves sunlight during the darker months, so grab whatever natural light is available during your day and make the most of it. Sitting by a window while you have your morning coffee or eating lunch outside when it’s not freezing can help reset your internal clock and boost your mood, and it’s not a bad place to start. Light therapy lamps are becoming popular for good reason, because they can give you the bright exposure your brain needs when the sun sets at 4 PM and you feel like you’re living in a cave. Or, just make the most of your daylight hours, such as walking your pet during lunch.

Move Your Body Regularly

Exercise can be better against seasonal sadness or blues to a more profound level than you assume, and it doesn’t have to be anything intense to be done correctly. 

As alluded to above, taking a brisk walk during your lunch break gets you moving and gives you some outdoor time and is good enough. If that’s too cold, then indoor activities like yoga or dancing to music in your living room can lift your spirits too, and we’d definitely recommend considering joint classes with others. This is because your body releases mood-boosting chemicals when you move, which becomes more important during months when everything feels grey and heavy.

Create Cozy Comfort Rituals

Coziness is happiness if you do it right, and can be experienced in some small daily routines around warmth and comfort, which helps counteract the dreariness outside and gives you something to look forward to each day. We’d suggest something that makes your heart full when you have free time, like lighting candles while you cook dinner, making a special evening tea blend, or using your leafy card to unwind after work in a more relaxed state of mind. It’s nice to have that to hand, even if it just means relaxing in your bath and reading books you love.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily beat that seasonal depression for the better.