Winter Blues

02/27/15

Help for the Winter Blues

Feeling down, depressed or just plain grumpy?  If you answered “yes”, you are not alone.  Many people experience “the blues” this time of year, as the cold weather and often dark days seem to drag on.

So how can you cheer yourself up during the winter months?  Try these 5 easy steps:

1. Enjoy a winter activity such as skiing, sledding, skating or snowshoeing.
2. Eat fruits and vegetables in order to replenish vitamins lost during winter days.
3. Engage in physical activity in order to help your body produce “happiness” hormones which you lack in winter.
4. Try adding color to your life by wearing bright clothes or changing your desktop wallpaper on your computer to a bright color.
5. Relax by taking a bath, listening to pleasant music or even meditating

But how do you know if your feelings are typical or if they are the sign of something more serious?  According to Wikepedia, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, or seasonal depression, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter. Thousands of individuals experience this disorder with prevalence ranging from 1.4% in Florida to 9.9% in Alaska.

If efforts to cheer yourself up fail or you are experiencing sadness, anxiety or other symptoms which interfere with your day to day functioning, please contact Waushara County Department of Human Services at 920-787-6550 or toll free at 1-888-250-4331.  Together we will weather winter!!!