Winter can be tough. The days are short, the weather is extremely blah, and it feels like there is pretty much no reason to go outsideâother than to walk to Starbucks. Not to mention the fact that your skin dries out in October and cannot restore its moisture until May, no matter how many layers of Aveeno you lather on! On top of that, itâs no secret that any ounce of a tan you have is from a bottle of St. Tropez, which just isnât the same as that true summer sun-kissâno matter how hard we try.Â
The bottom line is, winter can take a real toll on us, emotionally and even physically. Which is why itâs even more important to make the effort to maintain or improve our mental health in the colder, darker months of the year. Itâs so easy to slip into the mindset that since itâs winter, youâre subjected to choose a list of bingeable Netflix shows and stay confined to your house for the duration of the season. That is also totally okay, if it makes you happy! But if you are like myself, and the constant repetition of work, Netflix, and waiting in the line at Stages makes you perpetually nauseous, you are not alone.Â
The lack of energy you may experience might feel like a constant case of the Mondayâs, but in reality, it could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. How appropriate, considering this article is all about being sad in the winter. Perhaps you have heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, but in case you havenât, it is a type of depression that is related to a change in the seasons. Of course, not every case of the âWinter Bluesâ is directly affiliated with a mental disorder, but it is important to be aware of the possibilityâespecially if you are a person who finds yourself feeling particularly down for no reason in the winter.
I find that it is easy to feel isolated in the winter because the weather makes it seem like there are fewer places for us to go; itâs pretty much either class, work or home. I ache for the days where I can get vitamin D reading a book outside, or taking a long walk in the warm weather to better my mood. The cold definitely makes it feel more difficult to get outside, and a lack of fresh air can be costly to your overall wellbeing. Â
This one is completely style based, but someone recently brought this up to me and I thought it was a great point, though it also sounds completely trivial. Making an effort to wear colour in the winter could potentially alter your mood, because constantly rotating through your favourite five black pieces can start to feel like a subconscious funeral for your summer self. Switching up your wardrobe to something a little outside your comfort zone definitely gives you something to look forward to and can make the days feel less like they mesh together.
