Frosty streets and rooftops covered in what might look like powdered sugar.
The smell of evergreens and smoke coming out of chimneys.
Stores and markets showing off their red-green-blue designs, luring children into adding some of their toys to their wish list.
When it is still inhumanly early in the morning, and the only thing that protects you from the cold outside is your beloved and warm blanket, you know it is this time of the year again.
The time when all you want is to be asleep as long as it is still dark, cuddled up in your bed, eating all of the festive cookies you made (or bought) yourself for breakfast, since calories don't really exist at Christmas time. Despite of this temporary urge to let everything go and not care too much for once, hard reality kicks you in the face and reminds you of all your work you got to do in order to, well, survive. Whether it is about going to school, work or any other kind of activity that doesn't involve binge-watching Netflix series, it tends to be a little harder when those dark days suck out your energy, and winter is coming.
The worst part isn't even the cold, but rather those constant melancholic feelings that haunt you in the morning and when you're sitting on the bus home at 5pm and you can already see the stars. It makes you contemplate whether you and your life are as good as you thought, and you try hard to dig into the deepest shelves in your brain register, in hope to find an answer for your winter blues.
For many years, I managed to pity myself, unaware of the normality of this seasonal depression. However, just like for most diseases and unpleasant feelings, there are certain things you can do to alleviate this cloud, that's pouring down negative thoughts on you. So instead of picking up the cheapest wine bottle from Tesco and start drinking, I might have some other tips that can hopefully help you, and make you understand this annual winter blues a little better.
Start your day with a warm cup of mood-boost: hot water with lemon, ginger and honey
It's not only the scent of lemons that enhances your mood and helps you clear your mind, additionally to reduce anxiety and depression. This super-fruit contains unusually many negative charged ions, which results in providing your body more energy when it reacts with the positive charged ions from food in the digestive tract. Lemons also reduce your stress levels because of the high amount of vitamin C, detoxes your liver and boosts your immune system.
There are several health benefits of ginger, so I won't bother you with the details. However, it is proven to fight many forms of nausea, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels and fighting infections. Using honey in this hot drink will not only make it taste better, but also provides your body with energy without the sugar crash you'd get from other sweeteners, since it has the perfect ratio between dextrose (chemically identical to glucose) and fructose.
Mentally kick-start your day
This is going to sound like a less scientific approach, but it's definitely something that really has helped me so far- no matter what season. It is as simple as making a list (yes yes, I know, we've all heard this before) of all the things you are going to do the next day. However, this list, no matter if in your mind or on paper, is a little different than the usual to-do-list. It includes both the things you need to get done, what you are looking forward to do and what else you could enjoy doing the next day. Making plans and thinking about what gives you pleasure throughout the day can definitely help you get out of bed in the morning. It can be something as small as making a really good breakfast, as long as that gives you the motivation to abandon your safe and secure, warm and beloved bed on those dark winter mornings.
Seek the light
One of the main reasons to our winter depression is, as simple as it sounds, a lack of sunlight. During the dark days, your brain is having a hard time producing enough melatonin, which is a hormone in our body that regulates your sleep cycle and is often linked to depression. Indoor lightning is unfortunately not enough, so in order to get enough sunlight, the best one can do is to take a walk outside or even cycle in the cold. Trust me- I'm the living proof that it isn't as bad as it sounds (and that comes from someone who despises cycling).
Exercise
This might not come as a surprise, but it's actually proven that exercising, especially in bright light, fights depression, because it releases endorphins, well known as being the happiness-hormone. However, it doesn't only lift your mood, it is also beneficial to your immune system, and reduces your body's perception of pain. Furthermore, a daily one-hour walk in the sunlight could actually be as helpful as light treatment, that's supposed to help with winter blues.
Luckily, you don't have to force yourself to awkwardly stand between all of the sweaty and grunting Hulks at the gym , flexing their muscles in front of the mirror. A study performed by Harvard in 2005 showed that walking fast for about half an hour five times a week or an hour three times a week is just enough to keep fit. You could also join a class with a friend, cycle instead of taking the bus or do yoga, even if it's in front of your computer in the living room with your cat judging and staring at you.
Eat better - feel better
If you have ever watched the documentary "Super Size Me" on Netflix, you should be more than aware of the impact fast 'food' has on our mood. Not only wasn't Spurlock getting any nutritious food into his body, but he actually reported that he was starting to feel sluggish and even depressed. To maintain a well functioning body, you got to give it the right amount of nutrients, everything from vitamins to minerals and dear God- do yourself a favour and don't let your fear of carbohydrates and fat scare you (as long as it comes from real food instead of the McDonald's menu). It isn't much of a surprise that America spends more money on mental health care than any other country, with its horribly high intake of fast food and lack of exercise. Deprivation of certain nutrients can actually have a bigger effect on your mental health than you think, and if this paragraph hasn't bored you to death and you want to dig a little deeper, I recommend you to watch this brilliantly explained and informative Ted Talk:
See friends and family
Our bodies aren't just designed to exercise and eat real food. Humans are also social beings. Surrounding yourself with friends and family, even sharing your negative thoughts and reflect on it together, works almost like a simple self-analysis therapy session. Studies have shown that people who spent more time socializing and spending quality time with their peers were actually both happier and healthier than the ones who spent their time working on their business and focusing on money. It might sound cliché but it's true - surround yourself with positivity, because you can certainly not buy permanent happiness on ebay.
Enjoy this season by taking pictures outside or visiting a Christmas market
Especially at this time of the year, it is easy to think there is nothing else you can do, than to isolate yourself at home and wait for the cold to pass by. Even though it might seem tempting to just stay at home and watch Christmas movies, you should consider finding out what you could do to get out of the house. This might not be your favourite season, but there is always a little bit of charm to every single one of them. Try to think about all the things you can only do at this time. Checking Facebook or the newspapers for events, visiting a Christmas market (or any type of food market would help too) or going on photography trips outside might help you look on the bright side, and maybe even help you appreciate the coldest of the seasons and its dissimilarities a little more.
I hope this helped you understand a little bit better that there's no need to go over on Tumblr to drown yourself in self-pity. There can often be scientific reasons behind your mood, so don't let winter and its apparent limitations and melancholy make you feel all nihilistic.
I'll go hang out with my old friend Frankie (Sinatra) now. Talk to you all soon. x
