Winter has been here for a couple months, and for those who aren’t living in California or any other place where sunshine and warmth are plentiful, life has been pretty brutal.
Despite the debilitating effects of seasonal affective disorder, coping with the winter blues may be almost as easy as controlling the sadness with our minds, according to CBC News.
“It goes back to how we think. In fact, if we have certain perceptions of negativity around the weather, then our feelings are going to follow that,” stated David Mensink, a psychologist at Dalhousie University.
He added, “And then it kind of cycles down. ‘Yeah I’ll be late for work, I have a lot of shovelling, maybe I’ll hurt my back and then I’ll have to go to the doctor then I won’t be able to go to work and make money and then I’ll end up — wherever.’”
Those who actually enjoy winter are reportedly able to because their perception of the weather and the stressors that come along with it is vastly different from those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder.
“Winter is less problematic for them [people who like winter]. Some people perceive winter in a positive way and they have no problems in their mood. But others may not,” explained Mensink.
He continued, “Also, another important point to make is that some people may be more vulnerable, they may be more stressed, or [have] a certain amount of depression and weather can just push them over.”
When controlling the winter blues with your mind doesn’t work, researchers have recommended physical activity to get out of feeling depressed, according to the publication Utah Peoples Post. Whether it’s jogging, yoga or walking, physical activity will reportedly keep away the anxiety that’s often associated with seasonal affective disorder.
Another way to handle seasonal affective disorder is to keep your mind on the next season, beautiful spring.
“It’s [Feb. 18] today, but it’s not going to stay [Feb. 18] for the next three months and things are going to get better. It’s good to remind yourself of that. This is just temporary and all that snow in front of my house is just going to be gone,” stated Mensink.
