Self-care gifts for seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Photo by Megan te Boekhorst on Unsplash
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is a kind of depression that occurs when the season changes, generally from fall to winter when there is lack of light.
Several people are effected by and experience SAD.
According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms can include:
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Feeling depressed majority of the time, nearly every day
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Losing interest or motivation in activities you usually enjoy
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Low energy and tiredness
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Troubles sleeping or oversleeping
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Changes in appetite or weight
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Feeling anxious and self-conscious
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Lack of alertness and concentration
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Feeling worthless, hopeless, and guilty
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Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
If you or someone you know experience these symptoms and seasonal depression, here are several mood-boosting gift options you could give to yourself or a loved one this holiday-winter season.
1. A Journal
Seasonal affective disorder causes you to experience several negative emotions and thoughts. Often times we don’t express or release these emotions in healthy ways, let alone take the time to talk to someone about it. Thus, what often happens in we internalize those negative emotions, which can amplify these emotions and get overwhelming. To combat this internalization, journaling your thoughts and feelings help us release and reflect on the emotions we are experiencing.
2. Essential Oils
Planted-based and safe, essential oils are extremely beneficial and effective. If you’re stressed, overwhelmed, restless, sleep deprived, or dealing with psychological disorders like depression or anxiety, essential oils are a great treatment to help you relax and sleep via aromatherapy. Essential oils can be used in bath water, diffusers, and stored in capsule for on-the-go uses.
Common essential oils and uses include:
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Lavender – sleep, anxiety, depression
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Eucalyptus – natural stimulant and mood-booster
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Jasmine – alertness, stress, enhances mood
You can find out more about different essential oils and uses here!
3. Face Masks
Looking good means feeling good too! Treat yourself and your skin to a nice, deep cleansing, and relaxing face mask. With SAD it can be difficult finding little ways to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves. Take care of that winter-time skin by doing a face mask 2-3 times a week.
4. Plants
Learn how to take care of a cute, small, green friend like a succulent! Succulents only need to be watered once a week, so they are super easy to care for, even for those who don’t have a green thumb. Sometimes self-care comes from learning how to take care of others.
5. Tea
Tea can not only help with a winter’s cold but it can also help with attention and feelings of alertness. Depending of what kind of tea, a nice, hot cup of tea can also help soothe the body of stress, calm anxiety, and ease insomnia.
6. Candle
Get yourself a nice, scented candle for aromatherapy. Choose a candle for matching moods. Especially during the winter time, holiday-scented candles like warm cookies, pine tree or pumpkin chai to help you feel cozy and relaxed or if you just want a sense a tranquility, maybe a lavender or lemon-scented candle.
7. Happy Light
Photo from Verilux
The lack of light is the main cause for SAD. A happy lamp or light is the best portable way to get your daily light intake and stimulate the body with daylight indoors. Whether at home, in the office at work, or even at school, the happy light helps the body focus, relax, and feel revitalized.
8. Weighted Blanket
Photo from Gravity Blanket
To help with any sleep troubles, a weighted blanket can help ease insomnia and restlessness, reduce anxiety, and improves one’s quality of sleep.
9. Bath Bomb
Photo from Allure
Take a nice, relaxing bath with bath bomb. Bathing with a bath bomb has several benefits including aromatherapy, skin-conditioning, and taking a soothing bath will help the body feel calm and relaxed for a good nap or night’s rest.
10. Quality Time
Last but not least, something that can’t be packaged is quality time. Whether it’s with yourself or with a loved one. Take some time to check-in with yourself. Spend time doing something fun like watch a movie, have a nice dinner, listen to some music or sing karaoke. Any time you take to do something for yourself, to be happy, positive, and relieve some of the stressful symptoms of SAD, is quality time to ensure you’re taking care of yourself.
Hope these gifts help make it a little easier to figure out how to take care of yourself or how to help someone else take care of themselves. Please remember to practice self-care and always be mindful of your physical and mental health, you owe yourself the gentleness and care that you would give to anyone else.