Have you noticed a change in your mood lately?
Do colder and darker months seem harder to bare?
Does this happen every year around the same time?
Have you heard of seasonal affective disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer. Depressive episodes linked to the summer can occur, but are much less common than winter episodes of SAD.
If you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder, you may not even recognize it. But thankfully, there are tips to help you handle it if it’s present.
Prevention is key. While we cannot control the timing and change of the season, we can make sure that we are prepared when the change comes. Mood lighting lamps can be purchased inexpensively on Amazon and work wonders for combating the darker seasons by improving melanin production and increasing metabolism.
If money is not an issue, plan a vacation for to a destination that will provide you with beautiful beaches and sunlight that you miss in darker seasons. Cheap Caribbean, will allow you to enter into payment plans for vacations for up to one year in advance. While you are still waiting on your vacation, you can challenge the
symptoms of SAD by focusing on the anticipation of your upcoming vacation.
Say no when necessary. With the change in seasons, comes many other stress-inducing responsibilities such as spending time with family members and attending holidays festivities which often brings additional stress, depression, anxiety. Do not feel obligated to overextend yourself in these areas which could make the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder worse. Give yourself grace and know that you can feel better if you didn’t have to tend to the expectations of others.
SAD is a very serious condition and if not treated, could lead to further complications. If you think you might be suffering from SAD, schedule your free 15 minute consultation today.
