Winter Blues
It’s that time of year again and it always seems to creep on us. It almost seems as if we have never experienced this before - the cold and darkness at 5pm. I’m not sure about you, but I am not a winter person. My ideal temperature is about 80 degrees, a decent amount of humidity, and light until about 8:30pm please. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen in the DMV area.
If you are like me, you are not a happy camper during this time. It is very easy to stay home, isolate, get under the covers and drink hot cocoa. While none of that is bad for you, in fact I recommend to take part in most of those things once in a while, too much of that can affect our mood. When there is less sunlight, it directly affects our serotonin levels, also known as our feel good vibes, which could lead to some “winter blues.”
Follow these 6 tips to help stay balanced this winter:
Wake up with the sun: We know that sunlight can boost serotonin levels, so let’s get as much of it as we can. When the sun shines early in the morning, it helps our body naturally wake up and boosts our mood.
Stay active: Moving our body produces endorphins. Endorphins increase happiness.
Get fresh air: Continue to take your daily walks, bundle up and listen to a mood boosting podcast, song or simply enjoy your surroundings.
Make plans with friends and family: Being around others can give you energy and boost your mood. Although it may be easy to isolate in your house, make sure to keep busy! Invite your friends over for a movie night or cooking party!
Stay hydrated: Drinking water in the winter can be hard! Try hot water or adding a bit of flavor to your water. My personal favorite is Trader Joe’s Lemonade!
Light therapy: Sunlight increases serotonin, so to mimic this, you can purchase a low cost Sunlight Lamp. I use one every winter, and during the pandemic it was a life saver! Just turn it on while you get ready in the morning and there you go!
As always, if you or your child are experiencing some winter blues and would like to talk to someone, feel free to reach out to jillian@thebarigroup.com or click here! We would love to work with you!
