7 Winter Depression Busters

We’ve entered the “dark ages” as the midshipmen at the Naval Academy say — the weeks between Christmas break and Spring break when everyone turns a pasty white and the sidewalks are full of ugly slush. The lack of sunlight and the shorter days don’t help the pursuit of sanity. However, if you approach this time of year with a dose of creativity and enthusiasm, you need not fall down the rabbit hole of depression. Here are some ideas to keep your mood sunny when the weather is anything but. 1. Go to the light. I start using my light lamp in October. However, in January, this fixture becomes my best friend. Bright-light therapy — involving sitting in front of a fluorescent light box that delivers an intensity of 10,000 lux — can be as effective as antidepressant medication for mild and moderate depression and can yield substantial relief for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Technically, we are moving towards more light every day in January, which is great news. But my circadian rhythm — the body’s internal biological clock that governs brain wave activity and hormone production — gets really out of whack following the holidays. I think it’s the cumulative lack of sunlight since September. So bright light therapy becomes an important part of every January and February day. 2. Clean and Declutter I always feel like a massive hypocrite when I talk about decluttering and cleaning, but the evidence is in: messy environments affect your psyche....
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Creativity Depression General Mental Health and Wellness Motivation and Inspiration Source Type: blogs