Winter depression results from shorter days and a lack of daylight. We are more prone to depressive moods, feel sad, tired, exhausted and lacking motivation for no reason. Here you can find out what you can do about winter blues.
The winter depression is far from the equator, where the days are short in winter, not uncommon: one survey found that between 24 and 36 percent of over 1,000 respondents fell into a low mood in winter. The problem is not the darkness per se, but the absence of light.
Daylight, in particular, is an important clock for us and our sleep-wake cycle: Sunlight in the morning makes us awake and fit for the day. It stimulates the release of the messenger substance serotonin, which is also known as the happiness hormone. So it’s no wonder that the absence of daylight throws us off balance.
But what can you do to counteract a slight winter blues? It is best to start with the cause, the lack of light.
# 1 Take advantage of the daylight
The perfect light therapy is: go out and recharge your batteries. It is best to leave your sunglasses at home and the daylight to your eyes.
Since we often work when it is bright due to our professional obligations, it is not always easy to get enough light. But we can still do a little something. Take the lunch break, for example. Anyone who takes a few steps for a walk even when the sky is cloudy helps to stimulate the release of serotonin.
On the way to work: If possible, ride your bike to work – preferably when it is already light. If you use the train, bus or car, get off one station earlier or park your car a little further away from the workplace and walk the last few meters.
Half an hour of daylight in the morning or at noon can counteract the winter depression.
# 2 Exercise against winter depression – preferably outdoors
Exercise is also important to lighten our mood – preferably in the fresh air. Because this also ensures that we release more of the feel-good hormone serotonin. Exercise also gets the circulation going and strengthens the immune system.
Jogging or at least walking for half an hour a few times a week helps against winter depression. Also use the weekends for long autumn walks, snow hikes or look for cross-country skiing trails nearby.
More tips: Doing sport: How to find the right sport
# 3 light therapy with a daylight lamp
To fight the winter blues, you should integrate enough daylight into your everyday life. A light therapy lamp can help with this. In Scandinavia, these lamps have long been established in schools and offices, but Germany is not that far along.
The artificial light from these lamps is similar to the spectrum of sunlight – but the UV component is filtered out. In this way, many of the daylight-sensitive processes in the body are stimulated.
At home, the daylight lamp should be placed no more than 80 centimeters away from you. A powerful lamp can achieve an illuminance of 10,000 lux – this corresponds to daylight on a clear winter day.
The daylight lamp is best used in the morning for at least 30 to 120 minutes. Of course, you can do other things during light therapy such as reading the newspaper or having a healthy breakfast. After a week or so, you should feel an improvement in your mood.
Use of the daylight lamp in the evening is not advisable: it disrupts our sleep-wake cycle and thus tends to promote winter depression.
# 4 create moments of wellbeing
To arm yourself against the shorter days and the cold, comfort and homeliness help. Even festivals like Christmas and the Advent holidays can bring us through the winter in a better mood.
We can help by creating additional moments of well-being. This can be a visit to the sauna on cold days or just a hot bath. Meeting friends for dinner or a cozy movie night at home can also make us feel better. So winter depression doesn’t stand a chance.
# 5 With mindfulness against the winter blues
Practice mindfulness to face winter depression. Relaxation exercises help you slow down your everyday life and reduce stress. Because winter in particular is an offer from nature to take something back and relax.
Mindfulness meditation has a positive effect on our health and well-being, as numerous studies have now confirmed. Read our article Mindfulness: the difficulty of being in the here and nowhow you can integrate mindfulness exercises into your everyday life with little effort.
More Tips: Mindfulness: 5 Recommended Meditation Apps
# 6 St. John’s wort and vitamin D for winter depression
The less daylight in winter often means that our body cannot produce enough vitamin D. Because Vitamin D not only ensures strong bones, but also affects our general well-being. If there is a deficiency, you can help yourself with vitamin D supplements.
St. John’s wort can also help against the winter blues. The medicinal herb brightens the mood, can relieve anxiety and relieve restlessness.
In general, we recommend clarifying the use of such preparations with a doctor. The preparations should be dosed correctly – in addition, especially with St. John’s wort, an interaction can occur with numerous drugs.
# 7 Bring structure to the day
Many tend to sit on the sofa a lot in winter and do nothing, which makes one thoughtful and gloomy. A regular daily routine counteracts winter depression. You should first stick to a regular sleep rhythm with at least six to eight hours of nightly sleep.
Also think about when to take your half-hour walk or go jogging and integrate these sports units into your weekly schedule.
Introduce a morning ritual: It can be half an hour of breakfast or reading the newspaper, the time next to the daylight lamp or a short mindfulness exercise. Such a ritual also helps in the evening. To go to sleep with good thoughts, you can, for example, take five minutes and be consciously grateful for the day’s events.
Conclusion: The best remedy for winter depression is relaxation
We can take winter as an offer of nature to take a break and to turn within ourselves. Get involved and use this time to relax, calm down and just make yourself comfortable. Those who do not at least get involved with the cold, dark and shorter days internally have to struggle with them all the more and are more prone to winter depression.
If the winter blues is bothering you, try to get as much daylight as possible, do regular exercise, and keep a regular sleep rhythm.
However, if you continue to feel bad for more than two weeks, we recommend that you seek medical advice. Only doctors can determine whether a disgruntlement has developed into serious depression.
Read more on Techzle.com:
- Minimalism: 3 Methods for Beginners
- Stress-free Christmas: 12 tips for minimalism
- Winter sports: 15 tips for lasting fun in snow and ice