If you’re like me, there’s something about the last half of winter that just screams bummer. Maybe it’s because now that the holidays and New Years are over, snow seems less magical and more like a force that exists purely to mess up your hair and make you slip on five-day-old gray ice. Maybe it’s because there’s just less to look forward to than the ever-festive autumn and early winter months; Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, unfortunately, don’t quite live up to the cultural delicacies of Halloweekend and Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe it’s simply because January and February have a lot going against them, including (but not limited to) the start of a new semester, the frigid cold, and the gloom of gray skies. However, it’s also possible that your winter blues are actually because you’re going through SAD, or seasonal affective disorder (aptly named). SAD is a type of depression that is sparked by the seasons, most commonly starting in the early winter and ending in the spring or summer, and it is typically linked to a lack of Vitamin D or overproduction of melatonin because of the darkness of the winter season. This can make you sleep more, have low energy, and lose motivation. To beat the gloomy doom of an additional six weeks of winter, here are a few tips and tricks to lighten your spirits.
NOTE: However, if your symptoms of seasonal depression are severe, consider reaching out to professional help. This article includes everyday actions that can be helpful in lifting your spirits, but they are in no way guaranteed fixes or cures.
1. Light:
The earth revolves around the sun for a reason–it is quite literally the light of all of our lives. However, in many places around the world, winter means darkness. With a busy college schedule, some days go by where you might not experience the sun at all. However, indoor lighting and fluorescent lights do not count as a substitute to that bright burning orb in the middle of our solar system.
Instead, try snagging a seat next to an open window during long classes, going to a coffee shop with large windows to study instead of a dim dorm room or apartment, and walking between destinations if the distance is short enough. Open your blinds when you wake up in the morning, and if you have a fifteen or thirty minute break from work or an internship, bundle up and catch some rays, even if it’s just on the way to a lunch spot across the street.
If your schedule doesn’t allow for at least twenty minutes in natural sunlight, try a vitamin D supplement or look into light therapy, which is a common treatment for SAD and includes a special light box that mimics natural outdoor light.
2. Mind-Body Connection:
The winter blues have also been linked to a drop in serotonin (a brain chemical that affects your mood) that can be caused by reduced sunlight. An easy way to boost serotonin production and release is exercise, but an even more powerful practice is yoga. It has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, improve your immune system, and, yes, increase levels of serotonin.
Many college fitness centers offer yoga classes for students, free of charge, which give you the additional benefit of being surrounded by your peers. Yoga studios are also easy to come by and usually offer one-time classes as well as weekly or monthly subscriptions of all skill levels. YouTube also has an incredible amount of videos of all different lengths, instructors, skill levels, and techniques that you can follow in the comfort of your own bedroom, day or night.
Start with a short, easy session once a week, and then try working your way up to higher intensity classes. The effects are undeniable (and the clothes are cute).
3. Friends:
Is there really anything that can put you in a good mood better than a girl’s night? Nothing comes to mind. Laughter and the uplifting feeling that you are not going through anything alone have a medicinal effect on almost any bad situation. Sometimes the winter blues pop up because we get stuck in a routine that includes leaving our rooms only for responsibilities and then returning just to lay in bed on Netflix.
Break this routine and gather your best ride or dies for a night on the town doing reckless karaoke, or a lazy Sunday spent at brunch and then wandering the halls of an art museum. Even just running out to grab Starbucks after class can brighten an otherwise gloomy day. (And hello, have you tried the new Cherry Mocha? It’s basically serotonin in a cup.) You never know–one of your friends could also be dealing with symptoms of seasonal depression, and it never hurts to cope with others.
In the spirit of Galentine’s Day, show a little love for your ladies.
4. Bright Colors:
In Sweden, one of the first countries to use light therapy as a treatment for seasonal depression, many clinics dressed their patients in all-white clothes and put them in white rooms that were filled with bright light. While this technique maybe a little too, well, intense, for most of us, it has been proven that wearing bright clothing does affect our moods.
It has been said that looking at warm colors such as pink and red release dopamine, a hormone similar to serotonin. Cool colors, however, such as blue and purple, have a calming effect. My personal go-to, however, is yellow. The color of daffodils, the flower of spring, represents optimism and has been proven to raise blood pressure and pulse, which is a good pick-me-up for our sleepy, unmotivated bodies.
Put your black puffy coat in the closet and opt for a statement piece instead to prove that you can shine even on the grayest of days. No cozy pink coats handy? Start small and work your way up with a bold scarf, a patterned purse, or even some crazy colorful socks. Fashion is meant to be fun, right?
5. New Places:
To conclude this list, this suggestion brings together everything previously mentioned in one easy to do activity. After yoga, grab a friend or two, throw on your bright red scarf, and walk to a coffee shop or restaurant you’ve never been to. This includes all the benefits above, in addition to a little liquid courage: coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate, or a spiced flat white with 2% milk and an extra shot).
Sometimes the lethargy of the winter blues is caused by the cold temperature, so a hot mug to wrap your hands around is a delicious solution. A change of scenery can also help you get out of a routine that has become mind-numbingly monotonous. Planning a fun outing such as this one not only gets you out of bed, it also gives you something to look forward to.
Don’t forget to scout out a seat by an open window!