Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly referred to as seasonal depression or SAD, is something often experienced by college students. Sometimes, it seems easy to just stay curled up in your blanket and scroll aimlessly through your phone all day in the gloomy coldness, procrastinating endlessly, but I’ve offered up some tips to combat those feelings.
Here’s five ways to pull yourself out of the winter blues:
- Get (or make!) yourself some hot chocolate
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It’s easy, it’s sweet, it’s chocolate. Dark chocolate specifically is linked to an increase in serotonin, so you can have a little chocolate, as a treat.
Here’s a link from HCTU on some amazing hot chocolate recipes, if you’re interested:
https://www.hercampus.com/school/temple/best-hot-chocolate-drinks
- Go to an exercise class
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The rec-center offers a variety of exercise classes: from barre to pilates to yoga, you’ll be sure to find something that’s your speed.
Linked is the calendar for Spring 2020’s group fitness workouts:
https://campusrecreation.temple.edu/sites/campusrecreation/files/Spring1Schedule2020.pdf
- Explore Center City, either on your own or with friends.
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The ice skating rink is still open at Dillsworth Park (City Hall) and although restaurant week is now over, there’s always new places to try. Go thrifting, hit up some museums or simply walk around exploring new neighborhoods.
- Plants!
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Caring for something and having that responsibility can make you feel like you have a purpose. Even if it’s for something as small as a plant, it can help you get out of bed and get things done. Some plant shops to check out in the city are Urban Jungle, City Planter and Stump.
- Talk to your doctor
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Obviously, these are just small things to help get out of a sad mood, but are not clinical treatments. Know yourself, take care of yourself and go to a doctor when things get too tough to handle on your own. Your mind deserves the same care as your body and sometimes that means visits to the doctor, therapist, counselor or psychologist. Temple offers services at Tuttleman for a multitude of purposes. It never hurts to go to a therapist, even if you just want someone to talk to.
No matter the way, hopefully you find some peace of mind knowing that the days are getting a little longer and daylight savings is only about a month away.