Listen fam, I can feel that I'm entering the peak of my good mood/performance before the seasonal depression; I feel the best during September and October but when November hits there's no hope for me till March. Does anyone struggle with a similar thing? Any tips on how to survive these few months not being a blop on the bed all the time?
Getting outside (natural light) as much as possible even in bad weather, light therapy lamp (or one of those photography light box things which are usually cheaper), vitamin D (get your levels checked!). And biggest hugs - you definitely aren't alone!
Have you ever tried light therapy lamps? We have wifi controlled lights and the ceiling lamp will be on simultaneously with the alarm clocks in the morning- actually starting 5 minutes ahead of time and getting lighter bit by bit till you are really awake and you just want to get up Next thing following should be to open all curtains and get at least 10 mins of blue daylight- so enjoy a look out the window, the balcony or quickly get dressed (in whatever) for the sake of a good start of the day. Then when you’re wearing clothes for outside - a simple hairstyle and a splash of water in the face are enough - To get into move is what it’s about! So go for a short walk or maybe use it to run errands that would be due til later in the day. Getting busy really helps! Do you like choosing outfits/ have a passion for fashion ? Another simple hack to overcome the droopiness of the dark season might be to check the weather for the next day the evening before, decide what you will wear and put the outfit on a hanger/place it on a dedicated spot- and maybe look up when the bus/metro will go that you need take to run errands! This way you might be motivated to get stuff done early in the day- and early morning walks almost always are very energizing! (Early can even mean 10 am sometimes lol ..a matter of definition) I did that several times during snowy winter days, after I had doctors appointments or had early slots at the physiotherapist’s This is another hack I can recommend - asking for appointments early in the day, be it dentists, general physicians, coffee meetings or running errands
That's such an amazing response, thank you! I will try everything for sure 🫶🏻
Finding joyful activities that are only actionable in during the cold season can be a good way to keep up the good mood as well! Not only indoor activities- but also things that involve atmospheric/romantic lights or afternoon walks with kids- joining a choir! Trying out baking recipes and gifting the result to friends.. If you’d like to get active socially: you can even spend indoor time by becoming active as a voluntary visitor in nursery homes and looking forward each week to get together into talking with the elders- or you might find anticipation and fulfillment in helping the homeless or serving at the soup kitchen
Can't really offer advice sadly only solidarity, definitely similar for me although its more linked to illness for me, I have a terrible immune system and spend the entire winter ill 😭
Yeah, happened to me last winter, got covid (again), and couldn't get well till July 🥲
