Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Yeah of course I’m ready for sunshine and spring! Why do you think I’m wearing these
colors? Are you suffering from the winter blues? Yeah, you people in the sunny climate
probably don’t even know what I’m talking about! But those of us in the northern climates
are kinda chilly now. I hope you don’t suffer from the winter blues because that is no fun.
This time of year can be tough sometimes. Even though spring is not far away, it still
feels like the dead of winter. We just got 15 inches of snow here in Boston last week!
And with most days still grey, gloomy and cold, even the best of us can get a little
down sometimes. The "winter blues" are characterized by the low energy, lack of motivation, and
mild depression that many people experience during the winter months. Fortunately, there’s
a lot you can do to chase the blues away. You may already know about some of these solutions,
but if you’re like most people, you’re not exactly implementing them! So let’s
take some action! Number one on the list is exercise! Even though we really just wanna
curl up with a mug of hot cocoa or better yet, a glass of wine by the fire, getting
your heart rate up and your blood moving through your body is the best way to turbo-charge
your mood and keep it elevated. It increases your metabolism and keeps your energy levels
higher throughout the day. It also helps your mind by releasing those "feel good chemicals"
– endorphins - that improve your mood. Number two. Get some sunlight! Lack of sunlight can
cause many people to become depressed—but most have no idea why! Sunlight exposure releases
neurotransmitters in the brain that affect your mood. Research has shown that lack of
sunshine and Vitamin D which our body absorbs from sunlight is directly responsible for
a large part of winter blues. As a matter of fact, many people suffer from something
called “seasonal affective disorder” SAD during the winter months – and guess what!?
I’m one of them! Matter of fact, I have a special light box that mimics the sun – it
works wonders if you sit in front of it for 20 minutes every day. I got mine from The
Sun Box Company – sunbox.com if you’re interested. There are other similar products
out there, but a great thing to do is to try to spend a little more time outdoors - and
when you’re indoors, keep your shades up during the day to let more light in and sit
near windows whenever you can. Number three. Avoid sugar and complex carbs. In winter,
we tend to crave those warm comfort foods like pasta, cinnamon buns, grilled cheese
sandwiches, and freshly baked anything right out of the oven. Those foods are not only
not nutritious, but they usually make you feel lethargic and sleepy, zapping your energy
levels and affecting your mood, causing depression, lack of concentration, and mood swings. Healthy
foods keep your blood sugar, mood and energy levels more stable and even keel throughout
the day. Number four. Omega 3 fish oil. Now I am NOT a doctor but plenty of research shows
that ingesting fish oil on a regular basis can help keep the blues at bay! According
to The Mayo Clinic and one of MY personal favorite MD’s, the well-known Dr. Andrew
Weil, omega-3 fatty acids has proven to be an effective, natural and nontoxic therapy
for seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, postpartum depression, and other health
concerns. It also helps PREVENT depression and overall - improve overall emotional well-being.
So eat plenty of oily fish and think about getting some of those omega 3 supplements!
Ok the fifth and last of my antidotes to the winter blues is one of my personal favorites
– sleep! Problem is, we don’t get enough of it! Even though our bodies often feel more
tired and sluggish during winter months, we don’t pay attention and we insist on staying
up for our favorite TV shows, surfing the internet, you name it! C’mon, when was the
last time you got 8 hours of sleep every night for even just a week? Hey, I get it – it’s
hard to go to bed at a decent hour and still find time to do everything else we wanna do!
But when we DO get that much sleep, we are so much more alert, happy, and effective during
the day. So I challenge you to try it! I guarantee you’re gonna feel really good. So that’s
it for today! I hope this helps you chase away those winter blues! If you liked this
video, I do hope you’ll share it with your friends who might benefit from this information.
And if you’re not already on my email list, you can get free resources and tips on how
to discover and design what’s next and create a life you love. Just go to renahedeman.com
and sign up for free. I’d love to have you join our community of positive thinkers who
are ready to play BIG in life!