Seasonal Affective Disorder - trying not to be SAD.

[Chickenmaven]

When the cold & darkness hit my corner of Michigan, I start having one "bad day" after another, until I know I am in my winter funk. If it is sunny, like today, I will sit with my face to the window. I also try to get enough exercise & eat right. Does anyone else suffer from this? Any good ideas to help me feel better? I am generally a super-healthy person. My entire family got the H1N1 & I didn't get a sniffle! Yet, here I sit, all unmotivated & achey.

Woe is me!!!

 

[Wifezilla]

Have you ever had your vitamin D levels checked? Low vitamin D levels cn seriously effect your moods.

 

[SarahFair]

As bad as they are (even though I still go once a month one time a year) the tanning bed helps me

Im BAAD about getting the winter blues. They get me all upset, bored, crazy, tired, and gain weight.
Ive decided enough is enough (as of 2 days ago

) and started back doing all my sit ups and leg lifts

It has made me feel better but I always put myself down if I dont "get around" to doing my situps

 

[Lunachick]

You can also look into those full spectrum high definition lamps for "light therapy". My daughter gets SAD and we got her one of those lamps to read by. It's helped her on those dark winter days.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
I'm with you, I've never though I was seasonally affected, but this year I seem to be having a real problem with it - and Wifey, I take 2,000 mg a day of Vitamin D, plus I seek out as much sun as I can get. If anything I'm worse this season that I have been before I started to take the Vitamin D

I read a siggy line the other day that keeps running through my head: Some mornings it just isn't worth chewing through the restraints. I can't help feeling I completely understand that right about now.

 

[jenjscott]

That's a big problem in Alaska. If you can afford it, get natural light lighting for your house, or at least the room you are in the most, and keep those lights burning whenever you are in the room. Make sure you keep the shades open and plan your activities to be in the sun/real natural light as much as possible, ie, if you crochet, make sure your crochet chair is by the brightest window in the house, and don't be afraid to move to the east side in the morning to the west side in the afternoon; Even if there is no sun, there is more natural light.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Chickenmaven, I agree about the vitamin D and the light therapy. Michigan is a gloomy state in the winter because we don't see the sun very much and a lot of Michiganders suffer from low vitamin D levels. I try to stay busy and it has helped to have my chickens that I have to take care of. Otherwise I would never go outside.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
Yesss! That is IT!!!!!

 

[StupidBird]

SAD runs in our family. It's why I force myself outside - using chickens as the reason.

I liked that siggy too!

 

[gritsar]

I'm right there with you!

I take 3,000 IUs of vitamin D3 a day, sometimes 4,000 IUs in the wintertime. I don't realize how much it helps until I stop taking it.

Also, a sadlight:

http://www.sadlight.com/