Beating the winter blues
It's thought the winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), affects around 2 million people in the UK and more than 12 million people across northern Europe. It can affect people of any age, including children.
"Everyone's affected differently by SAD, so what works for one person won't for another," she says. "But there's usually something that will help, so don't give up if the first remedy you try doesn't work. Just keep trying."
1. Keep active
Research has shown that a daily one-hour walk in the middle of the day could be as helpful as light treatment for coping with the winter blues.
2. Get outside
Go outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible, especially at midday and on brighter days. Inside your home, choose pale colours that reflect light from outside, and sit near windows whenever you can.
3. Keep warm
If your symptoms are so bad that you can't live a normal life, see your GP for medical help. Being cold makes you more depressed. It's also been shown that staying warm can reduce the winter blues by half.
Keep warm with hot drinks and hot food. Wear warm clothes and shoes, and aim to keep your home between 18C and 21C (or 64F and 70F degrees).
4. Eat healthily
A healthy diet will boost your mood, give you more energy and stop you putting on weight over winter. Balance your craving for carbohydrates, such as pasta and potatoes, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
5. See the light
Some people find light therapy effective for seasonal depression. One way to get light therapy at home in winter is to sit in front of a light box for up to two hours a day.
Light boxes give out very bright light at least 10 times stronger than ordinary home and office lighting. They're not available on the NHS and cost around £100 or more.
"Some people find that using a dawn simulator [a bedside light, connected to an alarm clock, that mimics a sunrise and wakes you up gradually] as well as a light box can enhance the beneficial effect," says Pavlovich.
6. Take up a new hobby
Keeping your mind active with a new interest seems to ward off symptoms of SAD, says Pavlovich. "It could be anything, such as playing bridge, singing, knitting, joining a gym, keeping a journal, or writing a blog. The important thing is that you have something to look forward to and concentrate on," she adds.
7. See your friends and family
It's been shown that socializing is good for your mental health and helps ward off the winter blues. Make an effort to keep in touch with people you care about and accept any invitations you get to social events, even if you only go for a little while.
8. Talk it through
Talking treatments such as counseling, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you cope with symptoms. See your GP for information on what's available locally on the NHS and privately, or read this article on how to access talking treatments.
9. Join a support group
Think about joining a support group. Sharing your experience with others who know what it's like to have SAD is very therapeutic and can make your symptoms more bearable.
SADA is the UK's only registered charity dedicated to SAD. It costs £20 (£10 for concessions) to join, and you'll receive an information pack, regular newsletters, disｃounts on products such as light boxes, and contacts for telephone support.
10. Seek help
If your symptoms are so bad that you can't live a normal life, see your GP for medical help.
ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/dealing-with-winter-blues-sad.aspx
IMAGE SOURCE: http://networkingtimes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/545ae927eb6b5.image_.jpg
Vocabulary words:
1. Winter blues (n) - a feeling of depression or deep unhappiness associated with experiencing the cold and darkness of winter.
2. Depression (n) -the state of feeling very unhappy and without hope for the future.
3. Lethargy (n) - the feeling of having little energy or of being unable or unwilling to do anything.
4. Irritability (n) - becoming annoyed very easily.
5. SAD - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, summer depression or seasonal depression, is mood disorder subsets in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most commonly in the winter.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What are some ways for you to avoid winter blues?
2. How are you going to change your depressions into happiness?
3. Who are the people that are affected with winter blues?
