{"id":2608,"date":"2021-02-25T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T21:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensintegratedhealthcare.com\/?p=2608"},"modified":"2021-02-25T15:59:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T21:59:00","slug":"maintaining-your-mental-health-during-winter-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/maintaining-your-mental-health-during-winter-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining Your Mental Health During Winter Months"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seasonal affective disorder mixed with a pandemic create extra challenges during \u201cwinter blues\u201d months.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"exhausted<\/a>For many of us, with the winter months can come \u201cthe winter blues.\u201d Days are shorter, weather is colder. And with the addition of COVID-19, this winter is like no other. Many have been working from home, isolated due to travel restrictions and case counts. And sadly some have lost family members and friends to the pandemic. We\u2019re all adjusting to a changing world as the headlines continue to scroll in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe winter blues\u201d might be more intense this year. And knowing the difference between sadness and depression can be difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Am I Sad Or Depressed?<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s completely normal to feel sad now and then. It\u2019s also normal to feel a bit more sad during the winter months. But depression and sadness aren\u2019t the same thing. And in some cases the depression leads to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect 10 million Americans. Another 10 percent to 20 percent may have mild SAD. SAD is four times more common in women than in men. — <\/span>Psychology Today\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Symptoms of SAD<\/span><\/h2>\n

Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder can include intense issues with sleeping and eating, increased use of drugs and alcohol, and general trouble functioning. These symptoms feel more intense and severe during the long winter months and may be exacerbated by social isolation and life changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips For Getting Through The Winter in Good Mental Health<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are some things to try if you\u2019re feeling depressed by this particularly difficult season.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Take a \u201cnews break.\u201d With the pandemic sending many of us into our homes, it\u2019s undoubtedly increased our screen time. While it\u2019s important to stay informed, the constant barrage of the 24-hour news cycle takes a toll. While it may sound challenging, try to work toward only one hour of news a day.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Keep up a healthy sleep routine. This includes going to bed and waking up on a consistent schedule and avoiding electronics in the bedroom. Experimenting with temperature and other strategies will help you find what works best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Get active. Even with lockdowns and restrictions, you can still get outside. Even if it\u2019s just for an hour a day it will provide you with necessary Vitamin D and boost your mood.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Use your support system. 2020 and 2021 have taught us that human interaction is vital to mental health. As isolation has kept us from the people we love, it\u2019s become challenging to maintain those connections. Reach out to your support system: Friends, family, co-workers. Anyone you trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If you still find yourself unable to cope with dark thoughts and feelings, or unable to function in the way you know you\u2019re capable of, it may be time for professional help. This could include medication. Talking to your doctor about where to begin is the best way to start. Contact us today, and we can help point you in the right direction for your best mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Seasonal affective disorder mixed with a pandemic create extra challenges during \u201cwinter blues\u201d months. For many of us, with the winter months can come \u201cthe winter blues.\u201d Days are shorter, weather is colder. And with the addition of COVID-19, this winter is like no other. Many have been working from home, isolated due to travel restrictions and case counts. And sadly some have lost family members and friends to the pandemic. We\u2019re all adjusting to a changing world as the headlines continue to scroll in.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe winter blues\u201d might be more intense this year. And knowing the difference between sadness and depression can be difficult.\u00a0 Am I Sad Or Depressed? It\u2019s completely normal to feel sad now and then. It\u2019s also normal to feel a bit more sad during the winter months. But depression and sadness aren\u2019t the same thing. And in some cases the depression leads to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).\u00a0 Seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect 10 million Americans. Another 10 percent to 20 percent may have mild SAD. SAD is four times more common in women than in men. — Psychology Today\u00a0 Symptoms of SAD Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder can include intense issues with sleeping and eating, increased use of drugs and alcohol, and general trouble functioning. These symptoms feel more intense and severe during the long winter months and may be exacerbated by social isolation and life changes.\u00a0 Tips For Getting Through The Winter in Good Mental Health Here are some things to try if you\u2019re feeling depressed by this particularly difficult season. Take a \u201cnews break.\u201d With the pandemic sending many of us into our homes, it\u2019s undoubtedly increased our screen time. While it\u2019s important to stay informed, the constant barrage of the 24-hour news cycle takes a toll. While it may sound challenging, try to work toward only one hour of news a day.\u00a0 Keep up a healthy sleep routine. This includes going to bed and waking up on a consistent schedule and avoiding electronics in the bedroom. Experimenting with temperature and other strategies will help you find what works best for you.\u00a0 Get active. Even with lockdowns and restrictions, you can still get outside. Even if it\u2019s just for an hour a day it will provide you with necessary Vitamin D and boost your mood.\u00a0 Use your support system. 2020 and 2021 have taught us that human interaction is vital to mental health. As isolation has kept us from the people we love, it\u2019s become challenging to maintain those connections. Reach out to your support system: Friends, family, co-workers. Anyone you trust.\u00a0 If you still find yourself unable to cope with dark thoughts and feelings, or unable to function in the way you know you\u2019re capable of, it may be time for professional help. This could include medication. Talking to your doctor about where to begin is the best way to start. Contact us today, and we can help point you in the right direction for your best mental health.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens-integrated-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/wih\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}