Winter is in full affect! We have yet to see the sun in weeks, but that don’t let that put your college experience on pause. With freezing below zero temperatures it’s no wonder why we hit snooze every time it tries to wake you up for that 8am you wish you didn’t sign up for. Productive days seem like such a past memory, now you’re amazed if you even make the trek to classes. The truth is, it’s normal for these dark days to get the best of you. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can affect people during the winter months when there is less daylight.
Some symptoms of depression according to WEBMD are:
-Difficulty concentrating
-Low energy
-Always tired
-Feeling sad, depressed or quiet
-Reduced interest in daily activities especially social ones
-Increased appetite
-Craving carbs
-Weight gain
Not ready to diagnose yourself with depression? There are always ways to boost your mood and get yourself out of this rut. You have to be proactive and not let the weather get the best of you. Here are some helpful tips to kick those winter blues:
1. Get some vitamin D!
Everyone needs sun to stay happy, that’s probably why studies show that the happiest people reside in states like Arizona and Florida. While the sun isn’t always at our expense we can trick our minds to think that it is! Health Services here at UNH offers Light Therapy sessions where you can go and sit with a specific light that can help improve your mood. Most studies show that about 75% of people who use these sessions feel improvement within a couple of days. If that seems awkward to you, try to do little things instead like keeping your shades up and letting whatever sunlight there is in to your room. Also when it is a nice sunny day, even if it’s cold try to walk to class or to the dining halls to get in a few extra minutes of sunlight that will boost up your mood!
2. Get Moving!
There really are no cons to working out. While hitting the gym when it’s snowing out doesn’t sound like the most appealing thing to do you have to motivate yourself to stay active. When you are exercising it helps release the chemicals in your brain to improve your mood. Plus you can stay slim and feel good about yourself knowing that you went to the gym instead of watching a rerun of Beverley Hills Housewives, after all spring break is right around the corner!
3. Get Rid of your Bad Eating Habits!
Haven’t you ever heard the saying, “you are what you eat”? Well, they weren’t kidding! When you stuff your face with JP subs and Dominoes every night you aren’t going to feel any better about yourself. The starches in comfort foods that we tend to eat during the winter months give us the extra pounds and the extra guilt of making the wrong choices. And while we say to ourselves I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow, it doesn’t always tend to work out that way! You have to stay on top of it, don’t make up excuses anymore and just take your hand out of the potato chip bag. When eating healthy just try to eat less of what you love, don’t go for the second slice of pizza or make it a veggie slice instead of meat lovers. A helpful tip is to try to eat salad before meals because it tends to make you feel fuller that way you don’t eat as much pasta as you normally would and you get in your vegetable serving! Make healthy choices, it’ll pay off when we stop wearing the sweaters.
4. Get Organized!
Use that planner of yours, and the stacks of Post-It notes that you have in your desk to make you proactive. Keep a list of every day tasks you want to accomplish that way you know you need to complete them before the day is over. Stay on top of your grades don’t let them slump when you have time on your hands to buff that paper out of the way. Of course don’t always make these tasks chores, try to incorporate coffee with your girlfriend or a funny movie with your crush on your to do list.
While it’s hard to motivate yourself, just remember everyone around you is probably feeling the same way, try to motivate other people around you that way you can work together to keep moving! Keep your goals in front of you spring break is so close, which means spring is right around the corner! Sources: www.WebMD.com www.UNH.edu/healthservices