Winter Blues: You're Not Alone

Winter is coming...as is seasonal depression, or the "winter blues." The dark days are approaching and most of us who suffer from it, fear it. Whether you suffer from general mental health issues the rest of the year or are particularly connected to it from the months of October onwards until the fresh Spring air hits our lungs. We don't feel it progress. It just hits us like a wave crashing down. It's a horrifying feeling especially if you're like me and your intrusive thoughts hit you especially hard during winter. The days are longer and darker and everything is so rushed and confusing. Assignments are due, Christmas debt is coming and winter encourages us to indulge in as much junk food and alcohol our bellies can carry, which certainly doesn't help the already fluctuating moods. I can already feel myself physically craving sweet foods and wine. It's my body's way of telling me, "you need sleep, energy...anything." I try my best to attend my gym when I can, but that doesn't stop me from treating myself. It's a bit of an oxymoron ritual, if you ask me. They cancel out each other. 

          I assumed my winter blues would be progressively better with my medication. But I find my overall anxiety and intrusive thoughts to be a constant strain. I seem to constantly imagine irrational scenarios, cry over insignificant and such minute things and I'm poking at my body in front of the mirror again. Sometimes, I'll just stare back at my reflection for a while and say nothing. I'm on social media a lot more lately, scrolling for hours, barely paying attention. I find it difficult to look at people for too long because I get nervous imagining what they must be thinking of me. The thing is, I recognize and understand that these thoughts and behaviours I'm having are strange and erratic, but I can't help it. And in turn, I'm always agitated with myself and the world. Why can't the days be bright again? Why can't the world feel good again?

         Winter blues are absolutely terrifying. They can feel as though your whole world is slowly trembling, or that you are surely going to fall. There are ways to fight seasonal depression in small and manageable ways for you. You just need to find what works for you. 

What works for me (if you're interested or stuck for ideas):

1. What always helps me is music. I highly recommend Enya, Gregory Alan Isakov and Rhys Lewis to play as you travel. Music is key to escape the outside world. It gives you a chance to relax and indulge in the composure and lyrics: it helps you feel grounded. It gives you the opportunity to relax without silence. Silence is a killer for intrusive thoughts. 

2. Try to fight your urge to be alone. It's a terrible habit to get into. You'll most certainly be stuck that way for the next 3-4 months. If you're invited somewhere, go. If you catch yourself creeping into this habit, call a friend for a cup of hot tea or lunch. You need a support system. We all do in this time of year. Your friend more than likely will be feeling this way too. Lean on each other and talk out your problems.

3. Remember to eat (and be careful with what). When I was first diagnosed with depression in 2017, it's because I was barely eating. You need food to keep energized to get your tasks done. You need energy to fight against your depression. No one can fight on an empty stomach. Watch out for your eating (or lack thereof) habits and try spotting your friend's diet too. You or they might be doing completely unnoticed. 

If you don't feel hungry like I did for those several months, my counselor advised me to eat hot foods for lunch, like soup or noodles and think of it as a way of heating myself up rather than eating. So, whenever I arrived to college, bitter cold and wet from the weather, I'd immediately order hot tea and a soup to heat myself up. My appetite would creep in and I'd order myself a sandwich or something small to satisfy my hunger. It's astonishing how our bodies and minds react to changing weather.

I'm still trying to figure out how to help beat my winter blues, even after all these years. I'm sure many of you out there are too. But remember, you are not alone in this. Remember the next time when your dark thoughts creep in how many other people around you are feeling the same thing. It's a lot more common than you think --and there are many articles and helplines out there to support you. 

Many articles I've read include these ways of helping seasonal depression:

• Get an indoor hobby (writing, painting, cooking)
• Exercise (home workouts, the gym, yoga, spin classes)
• Charity work or volunteering
• Plan ahead a day out or night away somewhere with friends and family (something to look forward to)
• Attend shows, concerts or gigs around town
• Improve your diet (more Vitamin B to help serotonin ("happy chemical") levels (foods such as chicken, soya beans, fruit, nuts)
• Make changes to your home (paint the walls, hang up frames, buy new bed clothes, re-arrange your wardrobe)
• Try to stay in well-lit places (not too dark) and get as much fresh air as possible
• Take Vitamin D supplements
• Finally, set a bed time. Childish, I know but many of us get so caught up in Netflix or our phones etc that we somehow forget that we still have to tomorrow --and we need as much rest as we can to prepare ourselves for the next day

I nor you may ever have the answers or the cure to this strange phenomenon. It's a dreadful time that we all face, but we all face it one way or another. We just need to be there for each other. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't give up so soon. The long, dark winter days will pass but YOU will always be bright and shining in the end. 

Love always, 

D x