What helps you chase the blues away when you are having an "off" day? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
It feels inevitable. Labor Day arrives, and I feel myself sliding toward the growing darkness as sunset comes earlier every day. The cumulative impact of the shorter days makes me listless. The listlessness itself further saps my energy. I’m less motivated to get out of bed in the morning. On bad days I feel a hopelessness. I don’t have a clinical diagnosis, but I’m acutely aware that beginning in the Autumn I feel SAD—Seasonal Affect Disorder.
According to the American Psychiatric Association about 5% of adults in the U.S. experience SAD and it typically lasts about 40% of the year. Symptoms can be overwhelming and interfere with daily life. SAD typically starts when a person is between 18 and 30 years of age. For those effected, the timing is generally in the Fall/Winter (though some people experience it from Winter to Spring). I swear, as soon as we get past the Winter Solstice I feel lighter and brighter with each successive day. But, I’ve got to get through the winter first.
What is SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
SAD is a form of depression specific to seasonal changes. The Mayo Clinic recognizes these symptoms as potentially related to SAD. The symptoms may start out mild and increase incrementally as the season progresses. (Think February or March).
- Feeling sad or down most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you usually enjoy
- Having low energy and feeling sluggish
- Sleeping too much
- Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating and weight gain
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty
What Causes SAD?
Winter onset SAD may be caused by the reduced level of sunlight in Fall and Winter. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression, and the change in season can disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
4 Yoga Tips to Kick SAD to the Curb
As a yoga teacher, I try to synch my body and mind with the seasons for optimal health and well-being. These practices increase sunlight, deepen quality rest, encourage seasonal foods, and employ simple yoga poses.
Light up Your Life
Get some sun. Lack of sunlight may be one cause of SAD. So dressed appropriately and with adequate protection for UV rays I make time for sunlight by sitting on my deck or walking in the neighborhood. The sun exposure, Vitamin D infusion, and fresh air helps my mood. Some experts say sunshine may play a role in regulating hormones and sleep patterns by positively affecting your biological clock. I also take a Vitamin D supplement.
Get Some Good Rest
Sister Sadada, a Boston-based yogi and Buddhist practitioner whom I greatly admire claims December through February as a time for “wintering”: the act or practice of growing down into the season/time of deep wisdom often found in the winter. So, rather than fighting the rhythm of the shorter days, I try to go to bed earlier when I begin to feel tired. When I follow that inclination, in the morning I tend to rise without that nagging since of weariness and dread. In addition to rest you can use the winter for reflection. Sister Sadada says “You may find wisdom in your winter."
Eat Seasonally Harvested Foods
This can vary with location, but foods harvested in the winter include delicious collard and kale greens, Brussel sprouts, lettuces, cauliflower, and more. Seasonal fruits are also good, but I’m careful about fruits. Some fruits are lighter in density, but still heavy in sugars/carbohydrates. I celebrate the holidays with traditional foods and family recipes, but I try to limit that indulgence to the actual date of the holiday, not the entire season. I feel better for it on January 1st.
Do Some Simple Yoga Poses (maybe in the Sun!)
Yoga poses build up internal heat in my body balancing out the cool of the Winter season, and (in yogic thought) the coolness of the energetic body. A yoga pose can be simple, and should be intentional (being awareness of posture, making sure it’s easy on your body), and using deliberate breaths.
Here are two poses that positively impact SAD for me.
Simple “Easy” Pose with Yogic Breathing. In a sunny spot (inside by a window or outdoors dressed warmly on the back steps, at a park, or in the forest), I sit on the earth or on a chair. Often I’ll take off my glasses so the sunlight can hit my face and eyes directly. With my hands resting on my thighs, or in my lap, I take long slow breaths in and out through my nose. I don’t try to do anything specific, just observe the feel of sunlight on my skin, breath moving through me. Do this for 5 – 10 minutes, or longer.
Simple Sun Salutation. This is a simplified version of a Sun Salutation: the traditional flow of yoga poses that moves from standing to the earth and back.
Stand or sit with your feet about one foot apart. Your toes point forward. Your arms are by your sides. Take a moment and imagine yourself like a mountain, strong and majestic. Breathe easily in and out. Breathing in, sweep your arms out to the sides and up toward the sky, and let your gaze follow. Exhale with the arms over your head. Breathe in deeply as you gently arch back. Exhale and come upright. With a soft bend in your knees, fold forward from the waist, arms in front, continuing your exhalation. Finish bent from the waist, your arms and head hanging toward the floor. Breathe deeply in this folded position. Then, bend your knees, inhale deeply, and lift your torso while sweeping your arms out from your sides. Finish with the arms over head. Exhale and let your arms float back to your sides, torso upright. Repeat 5 times.
Yoga can’t fix SAD, but a yogic mindset can help you manage the negative symptoms and lift the heaviness of winter until the longer sunnier days of spring and summer arrive.
What helps you chase the blues away when you are having an "off" day? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
