It’s officially wintertime, which is the season where a lot of people deal with low motivation, mood swings and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including lethargy, sadness and depression. So, I feel like it’s a great time for me to share my top tips for dealing with SAD. These are all things that I do for myself when I feel down during the winter and need to pull myself out of a serious emotional and physical funk:
1. Ask for support when you need it
If you’re feeling depressed, anxious, shameful or suicidal, don’t isolate yourself. It’s critical that you reach out to people who unconditionally love and support you. Share your pain and ask for loving support from the people in your life. You’re not a burden. You’re a human being deserving of love and compassion.
2. Move a muscle, change a thought
Negative energy can easily stagnate in the body. Any emotion that’s feeling “stuck” can be helped to move when YOU move. Physical exercise like running, weight training, yoga, pilates or walking helps to release endorphins and hormones, as well as moving stuck energy from the cells in your body. Even 15 minutes a day of stretching is good for you.
3. Supplement with Vitamin D3
If you live in a cold climate that’s not getting a lot of sunny days, it’s important that you supplement with Vitamin D3. Whether you take it orally or transdermally (on your skin), this vitamin helps to boost your mood, regulate your healthy hormones and allay symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I LOVE Living Libations SunDew transdermal Vitamin D3 cream.
4. Make healthy food choices
When you’re feeling lonely, sad or isolated, food can feel like your only friend. But it’s a slippery slope when you rely on food for emotional comfort. Food is fuel and it’s important to remember to fuel up on healthy options during the Holidays. Instead of binging on too many sweets (my personal Achilles heel), try apples and almond butter. Or using a low-glycemic sweetener like stevia or Lakanto instead of sugar. Or instead of eating HUGE portions, try eating smaller, more nutrient dense meals throughout the day. Check out my blog post on how to avoid emotional eating.
5. Volunteer for those less fortunate
Being in a spirit of generosity with no expectation of getting anything back can do wonders for your heart. Simply giving of your time and energy can shift your energy toward gratitude and compassion. Whether that’s donating toys to a children’s hospital, taking warm blankets and bed to an animal shelter or volunteering to serve food at a soup kitchen – being of service to your fellow earthlings is a beautiful, healing act for everyone.
I hope these tips help you with whatever struggle or suffering that might be up for you to deal with. Also – I’m doing Facebook live videos around 6:30pm (almost) daily where I share a lot of food, fitness and mindfulness tips to help you overcome your challenges and struggles. Follow me on Facebook and join our growing community of conscious peeps there!
