One of the greatest things about the spring and summer season is the warmer weather, the longer, sunnier days, and the knowledge that school is almost over and nothing but fun things are to come — but this seems to be the opposite for many as fall ends and winter approaches. Personally, I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is hard all year around. But when the days get shorter, it’s way too cold to exist, and as finals are approaching, it gets harder to deal with GAD and the depression that can sometimes accompany it, and I know I am not alone in this fight.
The short days and lack of sunlight are both huge reasons for mental illness to become challenging for many. Actually, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a diagnosable mental illness, aka seasonal depression. It is normal to have this: the lack of light can throw off anyone because Vitamin D (the happy hormone) raises levels of serotonin in the brain. However, there are many ways to cope with mental illness as the winter approaches!
As it gets colder out, getting out of bed in the morning becomes harder and harder with each passing day. Under the covers it is just SO warm and cozy! Also, the little part of your brain that tells you all the bad thoughts is just screaming at you to stay in the warm cozy cocoon because no one can harm you in there. However, there are many ways to help with this issue specifically!
First, make sure you go to bed at a reasonable hour. You body can only sleep for so long, and if you keep going to bed at 2am, your body will crave that longer sleep and want to stay in bed more! Going to sleep between 10 or 11 P.M. the best way to ensure your body will get enough sleep and you will be able to get up and start your day and not feel as tired.
Thinking ahead and planning things that you know you will look forward to in the morning is another great way to beat this issue! Planning a good breakfast that you really like (for me it’s either waffles or avocado toast) is a good way to do this. Also, having a good morning playlist to get dressed to or a task you know you need to complete is also a great way. An example of this task, for me, would be feeding my fish every morning. Taking care of my fish and snails gives me a sense of purpose because I need to get out of bed to care for other living creatures besides myself.
Photo by Tarah Dane on Unsplash
Aside from just getting out of bed in the morning, getting through the day can be rough too. For me, it becomes especially hard around dinner time when it gets dark and cold and I would prefer not to leave my bed. At these points, even if it’s the last thing you want to do, the most important thing is to get up and move around! My therapist told me a great way to do this is to make sure you go out to dinner every night, even if it is just to a friend’s room. This is the best way to make sure you don’t get couped up in your room and fall into the habit of being alone with your thoughts and feelings every night.
SAD is something so many people suffer from, and although it can be hard, it is totally manageable. As the snowflakes fall, just know that the snow will melt and so will these feelings. Summer will be back soon enough. Hang in there friends!
Photo by naomi tamar on Unsplash