5 mood-boosting tips for your morning routine to ward off the winter blues

What Exactly Causes Seasonal Depression?

According to the National Library of Medicine, seasonal depression can affect 0.5 to 3 percent of the population in the United States. (NLM). SAD tends to affect people with existing mental health problems more often, with an incidence of 10 to 20 percent in people with major depressive disorder and 25 percent in people with bipolar disorder.

While the cause of SAD isn’t fully understood, the NLM states that factors such as reduced sun exposure, a disruption in your sleep-wake cycle (aka your circadian rhythm), and even genetics may play a role. Of course, if you have SAD it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about your specific treatment plan first, but there are some habits to adopt that might help ease your symptoms this season.

Packing a start to the day with mood-boosting, mental health-preserving practices can help you feel better as winter approaches. – Serenity Serseción, PhD, Licensed Psychologist at LevelUpPsych

5 seasonal depression tips to incorporate into your morning routine

You might want to consider making slight adjustments to your routine now, before the darker days start to get hold of you. Pro tip: Use the part of your day you can count on (mostly) for those coveted rays—the mornings. Packing a start to the day with mood-boosting, mental-health-preserving practices can potentially help you feel better as winter approaches, he says Serenity Sersecion, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, practicing at LevelUpPsych in Sunnyvale, CA. However, keep in mind that not all of these tips will work for everyone. In addition to your discussion with your psychiatrist, you may need to do some trial and error, if possible, to find the right tweaks for you.

1. Wake up at the same time every day (even on weekends)

A common symptom of SAD is a change in sleep quality and quantity—either more or less sleep. For this reason, Dr. Sersecíon to stick to a fixed bedtime and a fixed wake-up time. This can give your mind and body a routine you can trust — and potentially protect you from SAD-related changes in your sleep-wake cycle. This can also help curb oversleeping and napping, which could affect the quality of your night’s sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic.

2. Wake up to natural light or simulated natural light

Since the lack of light during the winter months can contribute to SAD, it’s important to soak up as much of it as possible. dr Sersecíon recommends preparing your morning awakening with bright sunlight from an open window or a lamp that simulates sunlight. This type of lamp mimics natural light and has been shown to alter mood-dependent brain chemicals (more on best practices later). Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have to get up when the sun comes up, just make sure you get some much-needed light within an hour of waking, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can seem like keeping your curtains open for the morning, or replacing your blackout drapes with sheer shades.

3. Take action in a way that works for you

In addition to waking up to sunlight, Dr. Sersecíon, taking action is a great way to defend against SAD. Exercise is great for the body and brain in part because it releases many feel-good chemicals like dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin, which can improve your mood. Whether you prefer a morning jog or a midday walk, it’s important to stay consistent. As the days turn gray and your will to exercise slacks, it will be easier to get up and exercise if the activity is already ingrained in your routine. You can also sign up for a fitness class or work out with a friend in the evening to avoid the slump that comes with early sunsets. Perhaps the best thing about getting some exercise into your day to protect against SAD? You don’t have to do a super-intense workout — a daily 10- to 15-minute walk can be really good for your mind, says Dr. Sersecion.

4. Eat a nutritious breakfast as often as possible

Eating balanced meals full of proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates is a very important practice to maintain your overall well-being. So when it comes to your first meal of the day, fueling up on nutrient-dense foods can help regulate your mood and energy levels throughout the day, says Dr. Sersecion. That way, when you experience SAD symptoms, you won’t also be wrestling with low blood sugar levels or tantrums that completely ruin your mood. Again, having a routine helps a lot when the going gets tough, so having a few well-balanced breakfasts in your pocket is important when SAD season is in full swing.

5. Use a SAD lamp daily for 30 minutes as early as September

Light therapy isn’t as simple as turning on your desk lamp for a few minutes, but when done properly, it can be very effective for people with SAD. For one, you should make sure your lamp is SAD certified and provides 10,000 lux of light. Then it’s a good idea to brush up on best practices when using your lamp – like sitting 16 to 24 inches away from the light for 30 minutes a day, preferably at the same time.

You should also start as soon as possible. dr Sersecíon recommends getting used to it as soon as possible in the fall. It may feel like a useless strategy if you’re not in the middle of your SAD phase by, say, mid-February, but that’s the whole point. The slow decline in sunlight is part of the causes of SAD, so using light therapy as a preventive measure is actually very important.

What to keep in mind when using these seasonal depression tips

At the end of the day, losing just four to five hours of sunlight each day can be really frustrating, especially when it’s having such a huge impact on your mental health. When These Seasonal Depression Tips Don’t Help – Dr. Sersecíon recommends connecting with a trusted provider to find out other steps you can take, such as: B. supplementing vitamin D, talking to a therapist, or taking medication. Living with seasonal depression can be a struggle, but there are ways to make the winter months a little more bearable — and hopefully even more enjoyable.