It’s a countdown to the holidays — The end of the year is fast approaching and the days are getting shorter and colder.
And during the colder months, a common occurrence observed is seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder, which can result in low mood, difficulty concentrating, and sleeping too much or too little, affects about 3.5% of the population with people who experience social anxiety and agoraphobia at greater risk.
If you are experiencing any symptoms, please know that you are not alone. So, we’d like to share with you some resources and tips that might help you to understand better this phenomenon and to remind you to look after yourself.
Here are some tips that can help you during this winter:
- Brighten up your environment. Open up blinds in the morning to get light into your eyes and use yellow light at night to help with low mood
- Plan your day ahead of time. Planning ahead ensures you make the most of your day as well as plan for things during known timepoints of low mood.
- Go outside and stay active. Physical activity can help with low mood, try to take a walk in the morning to get that Vitamin D
- Eat Well. It’s good to maintain a well-balanced diet to keep you energised and hydrated during the winter
- Keep a diary. Take note of your days and try to recognise any patterns of feeling low, so you can address them in the future
Do you experience seasonal affective disorder? If so, do you have any helpful tips?
Feel free to let us know in the comments below!