Easing Seasonal Affective Disorder
One month into school and you may have experienced a certain shift in your mood, and this could be from the change of weather, or the shorter days that we have. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression that can hit us hard during this time of the year and it can start at the same time each year. The truth about depression can sometimes be scary to acknowledge but difficult to understand that it comes in different forms for each person. As students, we are at risk if we don’t take the time to understand the different types of depression and how it can affect us as well as the people around us.
Being informed about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can allow us as students to open our eyes and have a better understanding of how to deal with SAD if it is affecting someone close to our hearts. There are ways of dealing with seasonal affective disorder that we can take into account when looking at SAD. It is important that we follow the guide ease how we deal with SAD.
Here are ways to ease seasonal affective disorder:
Get Moving
Working out or moving your body can help improve our mood, especially if we are working out outdoors it can improve our seasonal affective disorder. Exercise is important, if we have the chance to exercise inside, we should do it close to a window to improve our mood and mentality.
Let the sunshine in
It is important to take advantage of the sunlight that we have and the only way to do that is to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Going for walks during the day can really uplift our mood, and even opening our blinds inside to allow the natural light. This can brighten up our mood and the whole environment.
Keep to a schedule
It is a good idea to have a schedule, but it is even better to stick to a schedule. People who have SAD may have trouble sleeping and getting up in the morning, it is important to maintain a regular schedule allowing us to improve our sleep as well as our mood.
Taking a well-deserved Vacation
During this season it is important to take a break, sometimes we need a couple of days to recover mentally. Even with the regulations that are in place its good to take a break, whether its from work or from school. Travelling allows for us to break away from our regular routine and can lift our spirits.
Start Journaling
It might be a good idea to start journaling, writing down our thoughts can help have a positive affect on our mood. If we are writing for 20 or 30 minutes at the end of the night can allow for us to reflect on the whole day, leaving us feeling refreshed.
Vitamin D
Taking Vitamin D supplements have a significant impact on depression. It is important that we talk to our doctors before taking any vitamin D supplements.
It is important that we take the time to make sure we are mentally sound, sometimes that can be hard, CUE offers students the chance to have those difficult conversations in a safe environment. As students, we can often feel judge about opening up. These events allow us as students the chance to open up and hear stories that relate to each of us. If we take the time to invest in these events it can benefit ourselves in the long run.
Here’s what events are coming up at CUE:
Check out the Cue Wellness Site to see more about the team, events that are going on, and resources:
https://sites.google.com/concordia.ab.ca/cue-wellness/home?authuser=0
By Deborah Olawale
