{"id":3029,"date":"2024-01-21T14:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-21T19:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3029"},"modified":"2024-01-21T12:16:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-21T17:16:50","slug":"seasonal-affective-disorder-doesnt-mean-you-have-to-be-sad-here-are-6-self-care-tips-to-fight-the-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3029","title":{"rendered":"Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn\u2019t Mean You Have to Be Sad. Here Are 6 Self-Care Tips to Fight the Blues."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn\u2019t Mean You Have to Be Sad. Here Are 6 Self-Care Tips to Fight the Blues. <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The start of a new year means continued short days and long nights. While some might be unhappy over the lack of daylight outside, millions of people have to worry about a more severe type of sadness: the winter blues. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tSeasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs in late fall and winter that has to do with the lack of sunlight.

\nHaving shorter days and longer nights during fall and winter can disrupt a 24-hour clock inside our bodies called the circadian rhythm. This clock regulates multiple bodily processes and is influenced by the day-night cycle, said circadian rhythm expert Joseph Takahashi, professor and chair of the neuroscience department at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, via email. Disrupted circadian responses may affect brain regions involved in mood, along with causing fatigue and low energy from lack of sleep.

\nTaking care of your health is key to dealing with seasonal affective disorder. Here\u2019s what experts say you can do to manage seasonal affective disorder. Remember to talk to your medical provider before starting any new treatments.

\n Try bright light therapy<\/b>

\nLight therapy is the go-to treatment for seasonal affective disorder. It involves exposing yourself to a light box with at least 10,000 lux for at least 30 minutes. (Lux is a unit of measurement for light level intensity.)

\n\u201cA bright sunny day is 50,000 to 100,000 lux,\u201d said Dr. Jason Tucciarone, an instructor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. While you can purchase a light box of lower intensity, you will have to spend more time sitting in front of it.

\nThere are two ways a light box helps with seasonal affective disorder. First, mimicking outdoor light corrects the internal clock thrown out of sync from shorter days in winter. Another way is by increasing levels of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in balancing mood.

\nYou can use the light box at any time, but morning use can give you more energy for the rest of the day. \u201cLook away from it and do something where you\u2019re sitting in front of the light, whether it\u2019s eating breakfast, reading the news or anything that will keep you busy for 30 minutes,\u201d Tucciarone said. Make sure to stay 2 to 3 feet away from it and do not look directly into the box because 10,000 lux can hurt your eyes.

\n Invest in a dawn simulator<\/b>

\nThese type of alarm clocks imitate natural sunlight. When it\u2019s time to wake up, the light gradually increases in intensity. \nSome research suggests dawn simulators may be just as effective in reducing depressive symptoms. They may be a good addition to your light box therapy, Tucciarone said, as you can get exposed to light the moment you wake up without straining your eyes.

\n Prioritize sleep at night <\/b>

\nThomas Kilkenny, a sleep specialist at Northwell Health in New York, emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep. The lack of sunlight from shorter winter days can disrupt our internal clocks that tell us when it\u2019s time to be awake and when it\u2019s time to wind down. The disrupted sleep schedule can cause insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.

\n\nGet ready for bed an hour before you plan to go, Kilkenny recommended. Dim the lights, use the bathroom and avoid arguments or emotional situations where you\u2019re going to get yourself worked up. Additionally, avoid using electronics as you start to wind down as they can make it harder to fall asleep.

\n\n\u201cPhones and computers have bright light which can trick your mind into thinking it\u2019s daylight,\u201d Tucciarone said.

\nFinally, he advised having a stable sleep schedule, which entails going to bed around the same time every night and waking up the same time every morning.

\n Go for a walk outside<\/b>

\nExercise works as a mood booster as it releases chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins to make you feel good and cope better with stress. Even a low-impact activity such as a 10-to-15 minute brisk walk can improve depressive symptoms.

\nGoing outside for a small walk can be even more beneficial, Kilkenny said, since you are simultaneously exposing yourself to bright light.

\nIf you are going to exercise, Kilkenny recommended doing it in the morning rather than at night. \u201cWorking out a couple of hours before bed will actually raise your body temperature, which is a bad idea,\u201d he said.

\n Socialize with other people<\/b>

\nFeeling an urge to hibernate for the winter? Social isolation is common among people with seasonal affective disorder, and isolating may contribute to depressive symptoms. Recently, the US surgeon general reported that being socially disconnected was as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

\n\u201cSocialization is really important in treating disorders in general,\u201d Tucciarone said. \u201cIsolating is not good for mood.\u201d You may not feel up to a party or a dinner date, but even small amounts of companionship can make a difference. One suggestion from Tucciarone is having a buddy with you when taking outdoor walks.

\n Get medical attention<\/b>

\nCognitive behavioral therapy has people with seasonal affective disorder work to develop an awareness on what they\u2019re experiencing, identify negative thoughts and come up with strategies to replace the thoughts with more positive ones, said Lucian Manu, a psychiatrist at Stony Brook Medicine in New York.

\nCognitive behavioral therapy may be more effective than light therapy at preventing remissions. One study found that six weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy helped reduce depressive symptoms and reduced the chances of developing seasonal affective disorder the following winter.

\nAntidepressants are another option that Manu recommended for people with severe seasonal affective disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for example, work to boost serotonin levels, which can help boost mood. A popular prescription is bupropion, which Manu said helps in managing increasing sleep (along with appetite and weight) for people with seasonal affective disorder.


\nContributor: Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN Healt<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn\u2019t Mean You Have to Be Sad. Here Are 6 Self-Care Tips to Fight the Blues. The start of a new year means continued short days and long nights. While some might be unhappy over the lack of daylight outside, millions of people have to worry about a more severe type of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-news-and-information"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3029"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3032,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3029\/revisions\/3032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}