Episode 76: How to Cope with Winter if You Suffer from SAD
Photo credit kilarov-zaneit-
“It can be pleasant to catch the sunrise in winter, instead of sensing the sudden jolt of darkness”
Today’s episode is for anyone who finds the winter weather hard to deal with.
If you don’t suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder aka (SAD), you might be wondering what all the fuss is about, or thinking that people are being snowflakes and should just toughen up.
But if you know, you know.
And I really know.
The winter can be crippling to cope with.
At this time of the year, even small things take a lot of effort for me, and I feel like I am working hard to keep going. By late spring, as the light returns, it’s a totally different story. And come midsummer, I’m in my element. It’s light early in the morning until late at night and I feel free and bright.
I am one of those sensitive types who starts mourning the end of summer when the light changes as early as August. Even when there might be a heatwave, the daylight hours are noticeably shorter. There’s that grief about knowing what’s coming. And then once you’re going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark, it can feel like groundhog day over and over again.
This year is particularly relevant for SAD because there isn’t the luxury of escaping to sunnier climes. So I’m motivated to make my practices for getting through this time even more watertight.
Really it’s a collection of things I’ve found helpful for myself and I thought I’d share them with you too. If you’d like to be less of a grumpy bear, and find ways of making the winter a little more bearable, keep listening.
All of my suggestions are easy, micro-practices, which means they don’t take much energy.
Light
Look for the light as much as possible. Light is even more revered right now. Keep all the blinds open to capture all the light you can. On crisp, sunny days, let the light bounce throughout your home by keeping the doors open.
Get outside as much as possible, especially around maximal daylight. Using those lightbulbs that mimic daylight are good for the eyes. Even on a sunny day, like the glorious one on Saturday, I tend to avoid sunglasses in the winter. I feel as if I need to soak up light at the back of my eyes. This can be quite a helpful prompt in meditation. With the eyes closed, visualising light beaming at the back of the eyeballs.
I’ve recently got one of those dawn simulator alarm-clocks. It’s already made a big difference. From 5.30am, the light gradually increases, so that I can get out of bed at 6am without thinking it’s the middle of the light. It’s much less jarring for the nervous system to wake with gradual light rather than a loud sound.
I used to have a SAD lamp and it worked well, but I wasn’t sitting in front of it as much as I needed to to get the benefits of it. I recommend them if you’re at a desk a lot.
In the evening, the soft glow of fairy lights and candles set the mood for cosiness and calm.
It can be pleasant to catch the sunrise in winter, instead of sensing the sudden jolt of darkness.
Movement
Some form of morning movement that gets a sweat going and raises my heart-rate sets me up for the day. I used to go for early morning equipment pilates sessions, but I’m so glad that I can follow online workouts without having to venture out too early.
As much as I love peaceful practices like meditation, journaling and yoga nidra, it’s important to have enough contrast with energising practices. It’s less appealing to go out if you don’t have to, but moving more often when working from home and getting some squats, hops or arm circles in really help. You could also try skipping, dancing or using a rebounder.
Inversions boost the mood and relax the body. Gentle yoga poses such as legs up against the wall are nourishing, and a supported headstand is good for getting a rush of blood to the head.
Supplements
Many people are deficient in vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. It’s easily absorbed in spray form under the tongue. One year, when I used to work 4 evenings a week and rarely got outside in the day, my vitamin D levels had plummeted and I had my GP colleague gave me a shot to raise the levels again. You can also get vitamin D from oily fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs and red meat. Magnesium is also another thing to considering supplementing to help with mood, sleep and body aches.
Rest
It should go without saying, but the winter is the season for rest. Try to have the sleep you need and catch up on rest. I’m doing lots of yoga nidra, restorative yoga and plain old naps as well as getting to bed nice and early. At the moment it gets suddenly dark at around 4pm and I find myself wanting to head to bed. At the same time screens can give that artificial sense of alertness which can make it hard to settle to sleep. I’ve found that doing a little stint of exercise in the late afternoon or early evening really beneficial, and then trying to get off my computer and keep my phone out of arm’s reach.
Nutrition
Warming soups and stews and broths are great at this time of year. Be moderate with servings of carbs to stave off feelings of sluggishness. Much as I love a jacket potato with cheesy beans, it’s not a great go to because of the resulting carb coma. Use spices that warm the body and fit with the theme of winter. It’s not the time for cold salads or too much raw food.
Colour therapy
Since the light is scarce, I pay more attention to surrounding myself with colour. Wearing colourful clothes, and having colourful things in my eyeline really helps.
In the same vein, focus on the pleasures of scent and taste. For scents, things that smell both refreshing and warming such as orange and ginger, grapefruit and pepper, and cinnamon are good options.
Warm drinks such as star anise, cloves, ginger or fennel steeped in hot water are comforting to sip throughout the day.
Nature is a healer for everything I find. Getting out into open spaces or walking in the woods instantly helps. As does having house plants to take care of and purify the air.
I’m back to body brushing before my shower. I use a couple of drops of rosemary or peppermint or geranium and brush my skin vigorously before getting into the water.
Cold Water Therapy
I’ll link to a previous episode about water rituals in the show notes, but washing my face with cold-water or turning the water to cold at the end of the shower are helpful. I’m psyching myself to get back into the ladies’ ponds, now that the second lockdown in the UK has passed and the facilities have reopened. Instead of setting the bar too high, all I’ll be asking of myself is to get into the water, with no expectations on how long I’ll stay. With all habits like running or writing, having a low bar for minimal effort helps to build the consistency of a practice. I don’t believe in tough love. Gentle encouragement goes a long way.
And as refreshing as a blast of cold can be, I’m a big fan of the deep heat from an infrared sauna. Thankfully there’s one at one of the clinics I work at, and even 5 minutes in there can help to open my body up from it’s contracted state.
Making sure that my body feels comfortable. The right type of layers so I don’t have that ‘cold in the bones’ feeling, but don’t get overheated either. A couple of thin layers and then something knitted. Keeping the feet, head, lower back and wrists particularly warm without having to be in a duvet. And at the end of the day it’s nice to give myself a massage with a warm oil . Or read in the bath. The little things that feel good do wonders for getting through these days.
In this episode, we talked about:
Try to avoid the behaviours that aren’t so supportive. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol, but sugar is my vice whenever I’m under par, and it really doesn’t help with SAD as it makes me more irritable and tired. Keeping a certain amount of structure with waking and going to bed and other habits can help especially in the long, dark times when there isn’t much distinction between dark and light.
Knowing when and how to connect with others. Social contact can be tiring, especially talking on the phone. Some of the things I’ve found most supportive lately have been social connection whilst being able to do my own thing. I’ve enjoyed London Writer’s Salon , where people gather on zoom to work on their own writing projects, whether journaling or writing a book. It’s nice to feel as if you have company, without anything too full on. Come evening, I’m a gremlin, so I tend not to book in commitments if I can help it.
Making the most of my energy so doing things earlier in the day, and having more space in the afternoons. Being aware of boundaries. Saying no to things can feel really difficult but it frees you up. And I’ve started to embrace the things that the winter brings, rather than hold my breath until the spring. The silence. The cosiness . The simplicity, especially if you don’t have to rush from A to B.
It’s also the season of simple joys, so do whatever lifts your spirits, without apology. You don’t have to give in to the rush of the sales and holiday preparations. Do whatever makes you happy. Just being able to say that I’m suffering somehow helps rather than pretending and trying. So if it’s something you quietly get on with, see how it feels to let others know that you find winter hard.
Remember that SAD is common but treatable, so if you need more assistance, do see a therapist or bodyworker for talking therapy or prescribed supplements or medication.
If you have any tips that work for you with SAD, I’d love to hear them. You can tag me @avnitouch on Instagram or Twitter.
And from 15th December, I’ll be running 4 weeks of the Intuitive Way to Wellness, supporting you to listen to the deep wisdom of your body so that you can feel better. I am a fan of gentle and simple ways of connecting with yourself through touch, mindful movement, breath work and rest. If you want to improve your wellbeing, and do it with kindness and care, I’d love for you to join me.
Resources:
Episode 62: Water Rituals, Floating and Cold Water Swimming
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Sign up for my free course ‘5 Days to Wellness with Ease’