{"id":22403,"date":"2024-01-11T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T13:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403"},"modified":"2023-12-20T12:22:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T17:22:40","slug":"6-ways-to-address-the-winter-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2024\/01\/6-ways-to-address-the-winter-blues.html","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You feel irritable, tired, unable to concentrate, want to eat, crave carbohydrates, and feel like being alone. It\u2019s hard to get motivated. You just want to hibernate!<\/p>\n

Since\u00a0this feeling come on seasonally, you wonder, \u201cWhy I am feeling so down and unmotivated?\u201d It\u2019s called the winter blues and about 20% of people struggle to shake them off.<\/p>\n

In addition to the winter blues, approximately, 35 million Americans may be experiencing something more serious called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Most sufferers of SAD are women in their 30\u2019s (although the disorder affects others, including children). SAD usually begins mid-October and ends around April when Spring arrives.<\/p>\n

You may be surprised to know that SAD can also have a Spring\/Summer pattern as well. However, both the winter and summer seasonal types of depression have to do with sensitivity to light\u2013those who\u00a0get too little light (the fall\/winter pattern), and those who\u00a0get too much light (the spring\/summer pattern). Light is important because it impacts our sleep-wake cycle. When our sleep cycle is impaired, depression can result. And SAD is also tied to latitude\u2013the farther north you live, the less light you get in the winter.<\/p>\n

So, what can you do to stop being an irritable or depressed family member? Move to Florida? You could, but there is a cheaper and easier solution.<\/p>\n

Here are 6 ways to fight the winter blues and SAD. Many involve getting more light:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lift your shades in your home or apartment and let the sunlight into your rooms. The light will impact your mood positively.<\/li>\n
  2. If the sun is shining, go outside and don\u2019t wear sunglasses for part of the time. The eyes bring in light and help with mood regulation.<\/li>\n
  3. Bundle up and do outdoor activities that expose you to natural light. Take a brisk walk, sit on a park bench, cross country ski, snow mobile, ice skate and enjoy the sunny days of winter.<\/li>\n
  4. Try a light box or dawn simulator (talk to your mental health provider about how these work). These commercial lighting devices and florescent light boxes help many people. Some insurers will even reimburse you for the light devices. In terms of use, some people are helped more by using intense light in the mornings, while others respond to increased light anytime of the day. Again, check with your health or mental health provider.<\/li>\n
  5. Try 30 minutes of sitting under a fluorescent light while watching TV, reading, etc. However, you shouldn\u2019t\u00a0stare into a light source. You\u2019ll only get a headache! Just do a normal activity with the light in your field of vision.<\/li>\n
  6. Stay in the spiritual light as well\u2013Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life\u2014of whom shall I be afraid, He is our anchor and hope. Boost your mood by staying spiritually strong. Read your Bible and be encouraged!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A note of caution. You should be careful not to self-diagnose SAD because you may confuse symptoms with other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Make sure you have a physical exam to rule out any other cause for feeling depressed.<\/p>\n

    And if you suffer from severe depression, you should consult a mental health professional. Light won\u2019t hurt you, but it may not help either. If you feel depressed after trying these things, see a health care professional and be treated for depression in more conventional ways.<\/p>\n

    But, isn\u2019t it amazing that a source of God\u2019s creation\u2013light, can improve mood? Remember the Sunday School song, \u201cThis little light of mine, I\u2019m going to let it shine?\u201d\u00a0 Don\u2019t hide it under a bushel like the song exhorts. Get into the light. \u00a0Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine!<\/p>\n

    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You feel irritable, tired, unable to concentrate, want to eat, crave carbohydrates, and feel like being alone. It\u2019s hard to get motivated. You just want to hibernate! Since\u00a0this feeling come on seasonally,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4100],"tags":[7589,514,157,513,752,757,753],"class_list":["post-22403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-blues","tag-depressed","tag-down","tag-sad","tag-seasonal-affective-disorder","tag-seasonal-depression","tag-winter-blues"],"yoast_head":"\n6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You just want to hibernate!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You just want to hibernate!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doing Life Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-11T13:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-20T17:22:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2023\/12\/winter-641819_1280-1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Mintle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@drlindamintle\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues","description":"The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You just want to hibernate!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues","og_description":"The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You just want to hibernate!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403","og_site_name":"Doing Life Together","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","article_published_time":"2024-01-11T13:00:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-20T17:22:40+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2023\/12\/winter-641819_1280-1-scaled.jpg"}],"author":"Linda Mintle","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@drlindamintle","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403","name":"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2023\/12\/winter-641819_1280-1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-11T13:00:58+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-20T17:22:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142"},"description":"The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it\u2019s dark when you wake up. You don\u2019t want to get out of bed. You just want to hibernate!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2023\/12\/winter-641819_1280-1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2023\/12\/winter-641819_1280-1-scaled.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=22403#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"6 Ways to Address the Winter Blues"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/","name":"Doing Life Together","description":"Relationship Doctor, Mental Health, Emotional Wellness, Relationship Advice & Entertainment","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142","name":"Linda Mintle","description":"It is rare that a trained academic who speaks passionately to the heart of people providing real answers to real life problems is so relatable. Dr. Linda\u2019s fun personality and expertise comes through whether she\u2019s helping her audience stress less or make peace with their thighs! Dr. Linda has her Ph.D. in Urban Health and Clinical Psychology and is a national expert on mental health. She has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety, depression and pain management. With 30 years of clinical experience working with couples, families and individuals, she brings her common-sense approach to people who want to live in positive mental health. Dr. Linda is also a bestselling author with 21 book titles to her credit, a radio host of the Dr. Linda Mintle show, professor, national speaker, winner of the Mom\u2019s Choice Award, a national news consultant, featured writer for Beliefnet and hosts her own website. Her academic appointments keep her abreast of current research in her areas of expertise. Her media experience includes seven years as the resident expert for ABC Family\u2019s Living the Life television show and regular appearances on network television and radio. It is often said that being with Dr. Linda is like having coffee with a friend. She makes the complicated issues of relationships and mental health easy to understand and applicable to everyday living. The ease she has with people, coupled with her clinical training and experience makes her a sought-after speaker on college campuses, conferences and special events. Whether she is doing a TV skit with Tim Conway or discussing teen violence with Queen Latifa, Dr. Linda will entertain, educate and integrate faith and mental health in everyday living. Check out her latest book Hope and Healing for Anxiety, a whole-person approach to eliminate anxiety. .","sameAs":["https:\/\/drlindamintle.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/x.com\/drlindamintle"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/author\/lmintle"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22403"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22430,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22403\/revisions\/22430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}