Here finally arrives winter with every day count, along with a number of work to be done as well as to keep a hold on our health to keep our productivity level go on with as usual same pace as it’s always used to. Personally, winter is my favorite season, as it’s the time we have to take special care, while remaining indoors as well as outdoors.
Moving out wearing woolens or leather jacket on an seeing the outside area where glooming chill air, a mild fog all around, silence in flowing cold breeze attracts my attention a lot. I am sure that I am not the only one who likes winter, but there are many of us who likes winter, that is, normal winter and not so severe winter weather because as it cools vigorously so as our energy level seems to cool down. But definitely we don’t want it to happen as within a short span of time, it takes all control over our health, mind and performance level at work places.
It’s normal to be little lethargic or sluggish as the initial behavior, it is referred to as okay, but if it is lasting for long times, it can be regarded as your winter blues. Dealing with winter blues can be hard at times, as same as one dealing with dull energy life. The rise of winter has its natural impact giving a push to seemingly boring life for the time being. It is very important to stake awake by all the senses during winter because being active is being able to keep a healthy body and less likely to fall sick.
Naturally with started winter, there are slight chances that could give birth to mood swings, later recognized as winter blues and along with it if not properly taken care of could make one have Seasonal Affective Disorder, mainly recognized as SAD and it is common disorder found in people during the time phase of harsh cold days, could last upto months of end season which easily makes a person feel less interested in life and other related activities.
There are some things included with people who often suffer with this seasonal affective disorder, which are a sort of common signs found in a normal person with starting in winter. But as winter grows, so the level of energy turns down, and so the motivation to do anything or at times socializing with people. There can be causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) which includes :
· The increase of melatonin level especially at winter, which majorly affects the sleeping pattern and raising feelings of being lethargic.
· Lack of Vitamin D, as sunlight or the essential light is the major source for SAD sufferers to get relieved.
· One of the cause could be genetic wise.
Two highly successfully recognized treatments for seasonal affective disorder include :
(a) Intake of Vitamin D, whether through sunlight or having supplements helps to regenerate back the bone health and improving immunity.
(b) Another best strategy or treatment to hack this type of disorder is to have Cognitive Behavioral Therapy usually known as the ‘Talk Therapy’ which includes people to talk about their depression and re-occurring thoughts helping them to discover what they think and actually what they do.
Amongst people, especially to females getting the winter blues or symptoms of SAD like lack of motivation, weak immunity, low energy and concentration and all of the above difficulty in sleeping becomes a common issue as compared to men. So it’s becoming a bit harder for women to get along with their winter blues and initially leading to no productivity at all, hence, which is the major cause of life to keep us motivated and on-going.
Winter blues or I could say winter depression or being lethargic starts showing its initial signs from the early month of September and could last till April, favourably these are the common time periods when the energy levels get slow and people feel less interested in moving out.
When a person feels less concentrated in other activities, bored, or even feel like hibernating, carrying along the mood swings or becoming cranky at times, should prefer going to doctor or could even try some psychotherapy to relax mind which could prove useful for the SAD sufferers in the long run. When the initial signs of winter blues come to its extremity converts into Seasonal Affective Disorder. Consultation or taking appropriate medications is a must, as for different people, there are different treatment.
I would like to suggest some ways to beat this type of winter depression, dealing with SAD and moreover how to be more active and to be more productive during winters :
1. Getting enough amount of light or sunlight :
Hey People! It’s like a boon to get in winter days or dark days, so stand out and take advantage of sunlight to get more of Vitamin D and for people with SAD, it is favourable to get a Light Therapy to make feel your body active again.
2. Consuming healthy enriched diet and essential supplements :
To stay on-going on the severe cold days along with winter woolens, your body needs internal fuel too, to fight back winter and its effects. It’s important to take in veggies, fruits, nuts or even as an alternative some supplements containing Omega 3 and to keep melatonin level stable in the body and build immunity.
3. The best thing ever is to exercise and move your body along :
The top way to stay active and create the desired warmness inside the body is to exercise, whether it is indoors or outside, moving the body helps in combating the cold season to influence you.
Tip: Keep yourself hydrated before and after completing your workout even though if you don’t feel like.
4. Get yourself busy to do certain activities indoors or making plans to do different things :
Another better way to beat off winter blues is to get yourself involved in doing those important tasks which since long you are planning to do or can even try some new things online which gets your curiosity double, including mind and health concentrated in it.
5. To keep yourself stay active at work you can keep your favorite hot drink or tea in a flask to carry along :
To make yourself stay mentally and physically alert at work place and not letting the dark days or cold air make you lazy, carry hot drinks or tea along with you at your place to help keep you on-going throughout the day.
6. Don’t forget to make yourself flexible :
With the rising winters and cold breeze all over, can sometimes make a mild pain in body or tired throughout the day, so it’s better to do some stretches and moving the body flexible after getting out of bed to feel good and active all over.
7. For people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, it’s important to practice meditation to beat anxiety and winter depression :
One best way for people facing extreme winter blues is to do yoga and meditation to relax muscles and mind and to make all senses properly awake and improves concentration and mind alert during winters.
These are some ways which work best to make you pro-active and healthy during the cold days maintaining the stress levels to a minimum and being productive all the way.
Good luck with all health and enjoy this winter season!