As the year begins to slowly close out and the days grow darker, it can be hard to stay in good spirits. Life may start to not be so holly jolly, pressure that you used to handle well could start burdening you and feeling blue and anxious might become the new regular. If you’re experiencing this, you are possibly suffering through seasonal depression, a type of depressive disorder that typically happens around winter.
Seasonal depression can affect anyone, whether they’ve dealt with it already or not. No matter how difficult, there’s always ways to keep pushing through this hard time.
Make sure to get enough sleep
Exhaustion can really weigh down on one’s mental health. It is important to get enough sleep when going through a long, gloomy period. Fatigue has a lot of effects on the body, both mentally and physically as sleep is needed to regulate behaviors and emotions. The no-school nights can be a little tempting to want to stay up late or all night, but always prioritize sleep first.
Journaling
Going through seasonal depression can be harder when it feels like there is no one to help. Even though it feels like you’re alone, you’re the one who understands yourself the most. Writing down what you feel on a day-to-day basis can show some improvement. By journaling emotions, you may be able to start seeing a pattern on what can make your days worse and what makes them better. It also helps with getting everything negative out of your head.
Exercising
Getting a bit of exercise might be the last thing on your mind, but it always helps to go outside and get some sunlight. If you’re an indoor person, open those curtains and do some workouts inside. Put on some warm clothes to go outside and absorb
the sunlight while also getting your head focused on exercise. Either way, both methods are alleviating the body and mind by releasing endorphins. When your body releases endorphins, it blocks nerve cells that receive pain signals when you’re in pain or stress in order to survive.
Stay connected
During a time of sadness and stress, staying connected with your loved ones is important. Letting a friend or family know how you feel could potentially release some negative energy. Don’t be afraid to be helped or help others. Hanging with your friends and family along with going out for the holidays that are just around the corner are great ways to know you’re loved and not alone during this time can lift your spirits.
Seasonal depression is not easy, and it comes around every year for some of us, whether it be summer or winter. But it’s important to know that someone is always out there for you, but this isn’t the only advice out there. There are many other tips to overcome seasonal sadness, and remember to always take care of yourself.
