It is dark now.
Welcome to November, that dreaded time of year when the clocks roll back, the sun starts setting as you finish your lunch, and you start telling everyone who will listen Your “seasonal affective disorder is starting.”
Not so fast, says one mental health expert — who reminds those of us who may have forgotten that the disorder, more commonly known as SAD, isn’t something you just self-diagnose. Can and can start wearing like a personality between now and the first signs of spring.
“SAD is A subtype of clinical depressionAnd diagnosis depends on meeting its criteria,” explained “Winter Psychology Mindset” expert Kari Lebowitz. Guardian,
“Furthermore, people fall into two categories: those who feel more depressed in winter, with the lack of daylight causing their mood to deteriorate; And those who have a very normal, healthy reaction to the change in daylight, but don’t see it that way,” said the psychologist and author. How to Survive Winter: Use Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days,
Feeling lethargic and antisocial – or at least being less social than you normally are – is A very common, not strange reaction “There’s a 10-hour difference in the amount of daylight between the summer solstice and the winter solstice,” Lebowitz said.
And yet, “people have this expectation that they’ll have the same energy, the same interests, the same productivity throughout the year,” he said.
For treatment? The winter whisperer suggests trying to soak up the whole atmosphere before heading off to sunnier climes.
Take it as a note from body and mind, “telling you to slow down, relax more, [and] “Socialize in a low-key way,” he said.
Other advice includes inviting friends over for movies and casual meals instead of big nights out, if you’re not feeling like it this time of year.
“Be generous about accommodations,” she suggested.
And instead of just focusing on how bad the weather is, tune into weather apps and start living those moments “when the clouds part and you get that beautiful golden light of winter,” she explained.
The advice came as part of a longer guide published by The Guardian on how to survive the upcoming season.
Other tips include going outside, keeping up your exercise routine, purchasing appropriate clothing to ensure you are comfortable in winter where you live, and keeping things cozy at home. the way scandinavians doWith lots of “low lights, twinkling lights and some candles”.
