The Days are Getting Shorter...How To Beat the Winter Blues

 

Ecclesiastes 11:7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
 

It happened this week.  The time change.  It's easier for me to adjust to the fall back and get an hour of sleep, but I really struggle with it getting darker earlier.  It makes me sleepy and tired.  The days of gray skies and less sunlight are on the way.  Due to the tilt of the earth, winter is on it's way.  Lots of people begin to suffer with seasonal affective disorder (SADS). There are scientific reasons and ways to beat it.

Ways to Beat Winter
1. Get more D!

Sunshine releases vital chemicals in our brain which makes us feel alive, alert, confident and contented. In the winter months the earth's axis is tilted away from the sun. We receive the best sunlight when the sun is more directly overhead because this provides the shortest travel of sunlight and ultraviolet photons through the atmosphere. However, in winter, the sun angle is much steeper. Therefore, sunlight has less intensity in winter and progressively less intensity as the distance from the equator increases. Sunshine on our skin causes our bodies to absorb Vitamin D from the sun. What does Vitamin D do??

Vitamin D3

A partial list of disorders in which there is evidence that an appropriate level of Vitamin D is overwhelmingly useful:
Assists the immune system Assists with insulin secretion Lower risk of high blood pressure Reduced hypertension Lower risk of osteoporosis Fewer falls among the elderly Lower risk of alzheimer's disease Lower risk of cancers breast, prostrate, colon and other cancers	Lower risk of skin conditions Lower risk of multiple sclerosis Lower metals and toxins in the brain Lower triglicerides Lower death rates Lower cholesterol Lower hypertension Lower incidence of Depression Lower risk of types 1 and 2 diabetes

Take a supplement of Vitamin D.  I personally take 5000u soft gel Vitamin D3 every day.  When the sun is out, get out in it.

2. Get some Color!

Maybe that's why I like Christmas decorations so well..lights and color in a drab environment. Decorate your home with vibrant colors...wear some vibrant colors. You can wear your black and gray..but pop it with some red, yellow, hot pink accents. It can be done tastefully and will increase your mood. In your home, set our colorful blankets, pillows.

Simply seeing the color red can enhance strength and quicken response time.

Exposure to red boosts recall and attention to detail, which can result in more accurate work.

Red increases enthusiasm.

3. Get Out and Get moving!

Personally, I would be happy sitting here on pinterest and not moving during the winter months. I hate cold air and snow touching my skin. It hurts. But..I feel much better if I don't sit inside and I get out and do exercise videos..walk when it's warmer outside. Some crazy people in Scandinavia go in a sauna and get all warm and then go jump in the snow or ice water to boost circulation and reinvigorate themselves. You can get the same effect in the shower by alternating three-five minute intervals of hot water followed by a 3 second blast of cold water. Go for it, if you so choose!

4. Light it up!

Candles are a very warm welcoming environment and they smell really good. Try lighting some around and see how it increases your mood..and makes your house smell all good. I personally love coconut scents in the middle of winter.

5.Eat a Healthy Diet!

Don't tell me you didn't know that one was coming!! Diets full of processed foods and preservatives will bring you way down!! These foods are not only devoid of the nutrients your body craves, but they zap your energy levels and can affect your mood—causing depression, lack of concentration, and mood swings. Try to incorporate more complex carbohydrates and get your daily 8 cups of water. These healthy foods provide your body (and mind) with nutrients, and stabilize your blood sugar and your energy levels.