Winter Blues: Coping strategies to elevate your mood

In the winter, many people are trapped indoors, especially, elderly and handicapped people because of the difficulty of moving around in the snow and ice. The days are shorter and darkness seems to envelop the earth. The cold bothers many people as well. Painful joints and muscle pain also make it difficult to leave the warmth of home. The darkness and cabin fever lead to the disorder called “SAD.” “SAD” means seasonal affective disorder. This disorder occurs only in winter and affects the mood. Seasonal affective disorder is also linked to low levels of vitamin D in the blood. Sunlight in the winter months is not effective to help your body to make vitamin d. When you have good levels of the sunshine vitamin in the summer, you feel a lot happier.

How can this disorder be treated? Light therapy, increasing indoor exercise, positive affirmations , hypnosis cds, and vitamin d therapy are some of the strategies that are effective in treating SAD. Exercise lifts depression and helps you to stay fit. Chemicals in the brain are activated to increase positive feelings of happiness. Exercise programs should be tailored to meet the needs and physical health of the individual. Your doctor can help you to design a suitable exercise program. Light therapy can be done with a vitamin d sun lamp or a light box. A light box can be adjusted to come on automatically to simulate morning sunlight. These light boxes do not help you get your vitamin d. A vitamin d sun lamp can provide light and help your skin to make vitamin d. Sun lamps should only be used if your doctor feels that it is necessary. The instructions that come with the lamp should be carefully followed. Vitamin d is found in fatty fish, egg yolks, some cereals, and milk and margarine, which are fortified with it, and supplements. There are two kinds of vitamin d supplements: Vitamin d2, which is vegan, and vitamin d3, which is manufactured using sheep’s wool. This form is vegetarian, but not vegan. Vegan means a diet eliminating all animal products. Vegetarians can eat eggs and milk. Depending on your diet , you will need to read the supplement facts on the label to be sure that the supplement meets your dietary considerations. The research is unclear regarding vitamin d2 versus vitamin d3. Most prescription vitamin d is vitamin d2. This vitamin d2 is therapeutic in cases of deficiency.

Positive affirmations and hypnosis cds help to change your thinking. When affirmations and hypnosis cds are repeated over time, your beliefs change to promote better coping and problem solving. When your thoughts are happier, you feel better. If you feel that your situation is manageable, you feel better thaneye dogs Leslie and Winston. if you feel that your life is out of your control. Positive affirmations and hypnosis cds build positive beliefs, which create feelings of hope and optimism. I would encourage you to try the strategies best suited to your situation. Your doctor can get a vitamin d level and tell you how much to take. By using all or some of these strategies, you will be feeling happier soon.