Beating the winter blues

During the winter, we may find ourselves feeling down. The lack of sunlight and shorter daylight hours can have a large impact on our moods. Less sunlight can throw off our body’s circadian rhythm, also known as sleep cycle or internal clock; the increased hours of darkness can lead us to sleep more than we do during other seasons. Sunlight exposure helps the brain produce serotonin, so we may experience a decrease in production, contributing to mood decline, during days with less sunshine.  Additionally, our skin produces vitamin D in response to sunlight, so we may also experience a vitamin D deficiency during the wintertime.

Ways to boost your mood during the winter months

• Get outside and move around.
• Keep up healthy eating habits.
• Consult with your health care provider on ways to add vitamin D to your diet.
• Consider using a light therapy lamp to help mimic the sun’s rays.
• Turn on more lights in your home in the evenings.
• Wake up earlier to experience more daylight.
• Stay socially engaged.

The winter months and the holidays that occur during them can also contribute to experiencing higher amounts of grief. As holidays approach, you may feel overwhelmed and wonder how to handle gatherings in the absence of a deceased loved one. Holidays are often built around traditions and relationships, both of which may look different when someone is no longer there.

Tips on navigating grief during the holidays

• Express and validate all your feelings. Grief is complicated, and there are a variety of reactions. Be compassionate and avoid judging your feelings or the feelings of others.
• Take care of yourself. Self-care is extremely important during this time. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• While socialization is important, be honest with yourself about what you want to do. We often receive many invitations during the holiday season, and it is O.K. to only accept those you can handle.
• Evaluate holiday traditions and choose those that are most important to you, or think of ways to be flexible with that tradition. It can be easy to want to change everything to avoid sad feelings. Find ways to keep that sense of connection and meaning with your loved ones to honor those no longer with you.
• Check in on each other and ask how you can best support one another.

Adapted from Feeling SAD? Don’t Feel Bad. Beat the Winter Blues! (University of Wisconsin Health Services), Seasonal Affective Disorder: It’s Not Just the “Winter Blues” (University of Chicago Medicine), Seasonal Affective Disorder, Winter Blues and Self-Care Tips To Get Ahead of Symptoms (University of California Davis Health), How To Maintain Your Mental Health in Winter (Brown University Health), 7 Tips for Navigating Grief During the Holidays (National Council on Aging), Coping With Grief During the Holiday Season (Baylor University).

Maria Calvert is a University of Missouri Extension field specialist in human development based in Franklin County and serving the counties of Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Lincoln, Montgomery, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Warren and Washington.