Seasonal depression, or also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that is caused during the changes in seasons. It is something that most people experience without even realizing it. It can be really difficult to deal with. Personally, I feel most affected by seasonal depression in January. Also known as the winter blues, I get weirdly depressed, anxious or even sad for no reason. It can get frustrating since there is no definitive reason as to why you are feeling all of these intense emotions. These are tips and tricks I’ve learned through the years that will hopefully help you get through your seasonal depression.
One thing that has helped me through my winter blues is journaling. I am not a person who journals regularly. I don’t particularly like doing it. However, whenever I am going through a period of anxiety or depression, I find that writing out what I am feeling during most days is a good way to reflect on how I am looking at things and whether they are negative or positive. When I see all of this negativity on a piece of paper, I feel like I can leave it, throw it out, and go on about my day with a clear mind. There is something about visualizing your thoughts that make you rethink your wellbeing.
Another thing that might seem obvious is exercise. I try to work out at least 3 times a week during the winter. I hate it, but if I don’t do it I find myself feeling worse, not only physically, but also mentally. It is a great way to get all of the negativity out of your body and keeps you in the right mindset.
Eating habits can also affect your mood. In the winter specifically, stress from work and school can affect if you’re eating more or less.It is difficult to have set habits when it comes to food. As students, I feel like we just survive on anything we can get our hands-on. However, just like working out, if you put in the effort it will have an amazing impact on your physical and mental health.
The last tip I would recommend would be to avoid spending too much time alone. I know this one might seem odd but being alone is one of the things that you should try to avoid if you have seasonal depression. Being by yourself can cause you to go too deep into your thoughts or force you to concentrate too much on your negative feelings. If you surround yourself with people, it keeps your mind off your mental state and can make you feel a lot better. Personally, when I feel my winter blues getting bad, I force myself to go out and see friends or spend more time with family because being alone can make things so much worse for yourself.
In all, seasonal depression might be a term that is not used frequently or known by many people. Being able to pinpoint when and why you aren’t feeling your best helps to find ways to better your mental state. Even if you don’t think you experience this yourself, try these tricks and see if they somehow make you feel better. It might come in handy.
