OCT 27 Are You SAD When The Dark Nights Draw In – 4 ways to beat the winter blues

Posted: 30^th October 2017

By: Carolyn Trafford

I don’t ever think I’ve suffered from SAD but I do know my mood changes over the winter.  I do feel grumpier and I do suffer stress more.  I’m feeling it at the moment, juggling the demands of my portfolio career and trying to fit in sessions of Art for my degree.  The hardest part is being creative when I finally free up a 2 hour block of time and then totally blanking.

SAD exists because of a vitamin D deficiency – our bodies absorb vitamin D from the sun, so living in a northern hemisphere country we are prone to it.  The government responded to this many years ago fortifying margarine with vitamin D – but with the wide variety of spreadable butters and associated health risk of margarine due to the chemical processes of manufacture plus the need to reduce fats in our diet this is of little help.

I combat the problem in four ways:

• My daylight alarm wakes me naturally as if the sun was rising even at 5 am, without the sudden shock of an alarm clock blaring out.
• I take an organic vitamin D supplement from about the start of October.  Commonly known as the sunshine vitamin.
• I have a love of aromatherapy oils and find my Neals Yard Optiism blend a real mood booster when diffused during the day, also the night time blends ensures I get a decent night sleep – bliss.
• Getting out and walking whenever the sun is out over the winter – gentle exercise triggers mood lifting endorphins and clears the mind in a mindful way.

 

In the meantime I need to focus on doing one thing at a time, smiling regularly and making sure I have time to get out walking with the dogs – the thing I enjoy the most.

 

What will you do to help the winter blues?