Chase Those Winter Blues Away

Lack of sunshine, and of course being able to create Vitamin 3 on your skin, seems to be a large part of the problem.

Not being able to get out and enjoy our friends and neighbors seems to also be part of the problem.

Staying home, being isolated, not enjoying the sun and not having any kind of fun.

Of course winter is characterized by more overcast and gloomy days. We don't see too many days filled with sunshine. But, try to get out when we do have some sun.

So, what you can do is get out as much as possible, and get as much sun as you possibly can-or use simulated sunshine.

Picturred: Bright Sunshine to Chase the Winter Blues Away

How Light Therapy Works

Light therapy or a light therpy box will help you feel like you're on a beach in the Caribbean. Full spectrum or natural white light is effective in assisting with mood and sleep disorders associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder or the Winter Blues. Light therapy promotes the body's natural energy enhancers to lift spirits, sharpen concentration and improve energy levels. Verilux is the leader in developing products that emulate natural sunlight using full spectrum lighting technology. It bathes you in invigorating Natural Spectrum "sunlight" helping to address the effects of reduced exposure to natural light.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the "Winter Blues", or seasonal depression, are medical conditions caused by the seasonal change in the amount of available sunlight. People who suffer from these mood disorders experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the darker winter months. Loss of natural light can be the result of long winters, rainy weather, night shift work, airplane travel and subsequent jet lag, or just a lifestyle that dictates too much time indoors. Symptoms of Winter Blues, or winter depression, are sluggishness, sleep problems, memory loss, the inability to concentrate and loss of mental acuity, depression, confusion and sexual dysfunction. Symptoms of the "Winter Blues" (a milder form of SAD) includes a lack of energy, depression, listlessness and cravings for sweets and carbohydrates.

And don't forget about getting with friends and working out. There are many places here in town to do so. Places like our Community Center, For Women Only, Curves, or Roy's Taekwondo, or in a friends living room or den, in front of an exercise DVD. I'm sure there's even more, but those are the ones that I know. And work out with friends-if possible.

What places do you have near you to workout? Do you have access to an Aquatic Center? What about a Community Center or a Y, or a Fitness Center. Of course you can always get together with friends and follow an exercise DVD, put on some music and workout, or join with a line-dance or clogging group.

Make sure you find something fun that involves movement, music, a fun group, and get with it.

Line-Dancing is a fantastic activity, and again it is with friends, it includes music and it is exercise as well as lots of fun.

Also, be sure to get enough Vitamin D3 during the winter months, as there isn't very much sunshine available, and even if we are out in the sun, it isn't as conductive to making enough vitamin D on our skin.

And please be sure to get enough of all nutrients to stay as healthy as possible. Eat plenty of fresh produce, and healthy meats and good fats. Don't neglect a good healthy diet at any time.

Note: From the Author of Food and Behavior - Barbara Reed Stitt:

"When people have the 'blues', S.A.D. or are depressed - very common in the winter - 99% of the time they are deficient in vital Vitamin D3. Because of the slant of the sun in the winter months the body cannot get the 'D' by sitting in the sun - however it is easily obtained by supplements available in your health store, health section in most grocery stores or in pharmacies.. Taking 5,000 to 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D daily will quickly chase the blues away. An excellent website to obtain the least expensive and most accurate Vitamin D test is located on www.vitamindcouncil.com."

Thank you Barbara, how true indeed.

Now let's talk a little about the minerals Calcium and Magnesium. They really have a large effect on how stressed out we become or how relaxed we are. Looking at the body's cellular level - we need to be aware of how important calcium and magnesium really is. When your calcium and magnesium levels are correct or in proper balance you are able to handle stress, and when they are not you are not able to handle stress.
Magnesium is in the cell and calcium is surrounding the cell. Magnesium guards the cell and won't allow calcium in unless there is a need. If there is a deficiency of magnesium this process is interrupted.

In that case calcium gets into the cell and stimulates activity. If there is not enough magnesium present the cell cannot fully rest, which means it is forced to stay semi-active. This can put the body and cell into a continually stressed state, and then you experience exhaustion along with your magnesium deficiency. So you need to maintain the proper ratio of calcium to magnesium.

Do What You Truly Love to do.

Life it too short to do what you hate, so do what gives you the most joy.

I love my work although most of it is volunteer work.

I feel as if it is more important to help others to have a better quality of life, so I do what I truly love.

1. Do not isolate yourself, be with others.
2. Be sure to get regular exercise. That is very helpful.
3. Enjoy the sun when you can or when it's available. Also use Therapy Light.
4. Eat a good nutritious healthy diet, including real supplements of vitamins,-including Vitamin D3, minerals and good EFA's.
5. Add music as it helps with exercise and it just makes us feel so much better.
6. Do what you love
7. Create a warm ambiance in your home.
8.. And have some winter fun!

These are some of the ways to combat depression, no matter what the cause.