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(Disclaimer: I’m not in any way an expert in diet,
exercise, mental health or health in general.
All my advice on SAD is based on my own experience of it and on
information I’ve picked up on the way.
If you believe you’re suffering from SAD or any other health condition
your first port of call should be with your doctor to rule out the possibility
underlying illness.)
Yesterday I talked about daylight lampsand the immense difference they can make. Today I’m going to write about the usefulness
of planning ahead to make your Winter easier all round. At one time humans worked and
rested with the seasons, working shorter days in Winter when it goes dark
early. Now our lives continue in the same
routine all year round, and as many times as I wish to hibernate every Winter
(and I must whine about it every other day – my husband has a lot to bear with)
I’ve realised that until I’m a fabulous millionaire I’m just going to have to
shun hibernation and find a way to make Winter less hard work instead. So, what can you do to lighten the load for
yourself during the shorter days?
1. Plan
for major events: If you have birthdays or anniversaries coming up, or if you
celebrate a Winter festival it’s worth planning and buying gifts and
non-perishable food now, writing cards and planning the occasion. Having your gifts and cards ready to go and
knowing that you’ve done everything possible in advance will take the pressure
off later on and stop things from becoming a burden when you’re energy is at a
low ebb. If you’re working to a tight
budget this will also help you keep costs low by preventing any last minute
panic buying.
2. Reflect:
Are there times during Winter that you’re likely to be particularly down? It could be anything from a visit from
annoying in-laws to the anniversary of the death of a loved one; if you know it
will be a hard time for you think about how you can be gentler with yourself at
the time, such as taking a day off work or getting out in the open to get some
space and time to yourself.
3. Get
your house in order: If you have bills that need paying, repairs that need
doing or any other unfinished business that’s hanging over you get it done if
you possibly can. Now’s a good time to
clear out any unwanted stuff from your home and give it a deep clean. This will give you some head space (honestly,
it really helps!) and make it easier to keep your home comfortable during
Winter. Check your budget or create one,
and if there are any bills or payments coming up that you know you won’t be
able to cover contact the company that it’s for now to inform them and find out
if they can offer you any flexibility.
If supermarkets stress you out (like they do with me) consider setting
up an online shopping account so you don’t have to waste time and energy going
to the shops during the darker months.
4. Stock
up: Do a big shop and prepare batches of home made ready meals to freeze. Bolognaise, chilli, curry, casserole, pies
and soup all freeze well and keep their flavour so you can freeze portions now
and defrost them when you need them, saving you the effort of cooking on cold,
dark nights when all you want to do is eat NOW.
5. Plan
down time: If you have the funds to fly away to somewhere sunny for a three month stay in a stunning beach side villa do so now. If not
don’t fear, there are plenty of ways to fit in the rest and relaxation you’ll
need in the coming months. If you have
enough annual leave days at work, or are fortunate enough to work on flexi time
book the occasional day or part day off here and there to give yourself a
shorter week to look forward to. If you
have an understanding boss and are comfortable doing so it could be worth
telling them about how Winter affects you and asking if it will be possible to
book days off at relatively short notice if it doesn’t affect cover. If you look after your children full time, or
work and care for children, find out if a friend or relative would be able to
care for them for a day or half a day so you can take extra time to rest and
look after yourself. Can you mark out
any weekend days in advance where you’d be able to take some down time to rest?
6. Share: Depression of any kind can be a
self-disguising illness so consider telling your partner or a friend or family
member about how hard Winter can be for you.
I spent almost the entire Winter of 2011 heading closer and
closer to a total breakdown without a soul knowing about it until I confided in
my husband just how bad I felt in late January.
Why? Because when you’re
experiencing mental health problems you can feel embarrassed or even ashamed
about the difficulty you’re having coping with simple, everyday things, and the
idea of anyone knowing how you really feel can be frightening. Telling someone you trust can make a major
difference though because you know that someone who understands and care will
be there to support you. My husband
makes sure I keep on seeing friends and doing fun things and reminds me that
Spring will inevitably come around.
7. Treats: Plan whatever treats your time and budget
allow, preferably experiences you can look forward to like a trip to the cinema
or a day by the sea. Having plans in
place for fun things breaks up the months and in my minds eye it causes me to
see Winter as broken up into more manageable chunks.
I hope you’re beginning to
see that you do have some control over how you experience SAD. You can’t change the fact that you get it in
the first place and it's never going to be a jolly holiday but you can soften the impact by making simple adjustments to
your routine. We don’t have to write off
the darker days, we just have to work a little differently.