Call it the winter blues, but seasonal affective disorder affects more than 15 million people and 3/4 of them are women. It can cause weight gain , a low libido and fatigue. Here are some easy steps to keep your energy up.
- Head Outside
Just 10 minutes a day can help to keep the winter blues away.This way you boost your serotonin and dopamine, which cause happiness. Even if there are clouds outside, the light itself will have a positive effect on you.
2. Get more Vitamine B
Important for the health of your nervous system. And it helps to regulate your mood. It gives a natural boost to the nervous system and mood and sleep patterns. Therefore helping to soften the impact of the winter blues. Besides they give a natural energy kick. Additional eat flaxseeds, wholegrain bread, fortified breakfast cereals, eggs and peas. All good sources to keep you happy.
3. Get more Vitamine D
This is a Super Vitamin and usually we get it through sunlight. The UV ray hits our skin and convert into Vitamin D. This is also the reason why during the winter the levels drop. Vitamin D is essential for immunity, brain function, bone health. It can cause the various pains that we feel during the winter months. It can also lift our mood. We all should supplement it during the winter months, to keep our body working optimally. Best following a meal.
4. See the light
Bright light has a positive effect. Get a light box. A strong light signal at dawn and dusk keeps the body clock on track and provide a clear transition between day and night.
5. Talk to someone
Talking to someone is a way to cope with anything that bothers us. Even having someone across you, who just listens and you can hear yourself speak out loud what and how you feel. Knowing the cause of SAD is already the first step to get the solution.
6. Work out
Not the easiest to get started with, but 25 min a day of light exercise, like walking or yoga, can improve your mood, especially combined with light therapy.
7. Get more sleep
Power naps are the best way to fight this. The nap should be between 10 – 20 min long. Best is to take it when you start to feel sleepy or you start losing concentration. Most people start to have a dip of energy during the day at around 3 pm. That would be the ideal time to close your eyes for a short time.
8. Try Tryptophan
This is an amino acid for fighting mood and depression. Our body makes serotonin from tryptophan. You can also find it in a lot of foos products like fish, bananas, dried dates, soya, almonds and peanuts. They are instant mood booster.
