Change Isn't Always Good

The weather has been extremely crazy recently and it’s just not agreeing with me. There are so many things that need to be done right now, and with the changing of the seasons, my body just won’t allow myself to get things done and out of the way. It is in fact that time of year. Change. The weather is changing, the light is changing, and our moods are changing. Trying to get yourself off the couch for a bike ride after a couple months of being locked in your house because of the cold weather.

Here is a list of ten things you can do to get through seasonal depression:

1)      When things are changing, you should take note of things that stay consistent during this time period. During this time period, it can be really tough to get out of bed in the morning and think of all the things you need to get done. Taking note of things that you do every day could help you to get up. For example, if I tell myself “Take a shower in the morning” every night before bed, I will get up and do what I set my mind too. Now, if I’m watching TV and decide that I want a shower, I will sit there and talk myself out of getting in the shower by saying “okay, after this episode, I’ll get up.” And I do this until I finally decide to get up and just go to bed.

2)      Making plans can keep you distracted. I know this is hard for some people, but when I’m getting into a long-term mood, I decide that I want to get out of the house and go to the store, or the gym. Sometimes, thanks to the new people in my life, I’ll test them and they will just pick me up and drive around and talk. To me, sitting in the car is the best therapy.

3)      Keeping yourself awake can be a struggle, just give it a try! Usually, when you are depressed, you just want to sleep and don’t feel like getting out of bed because you think life is just too hard for you that day (That’s my interpretation). Sometimes I will force myself up, and instead of sleeping, I’ll pick up a book from my bookshelf, make some tea, light a candle, and just huddle under my blankets with a flashlight and I will stay there and finish a book. When I come out of the covers, I feel brand new and I have to catch myself up with the outside world. It actually feels really good!

4)      Always ask yourself what is wrong and what you can do to go from okay to alright to great. In other words, you can’t change the change, but you can make choices around the way you care for yourself during this change. Perhaps you need to ask for more help/support from your partner, family or friends.  Maybe you need a bit more exercise, or more rest. Maybe you need to cut down on your to-do list.  What you need now may be different three months from now.

5)      Make sure you are meeting your body’s basic needs. When many people go into a depression, they often forget to take care of themselves. The most important thing you can do for your body is take care of it. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated, eat 3 meals throughout the day (with some comfort snacks), and maybe you could get out of the house and get some exercise into your schedule. For exercise, you don’t have to do some hardcore cardio, you can just go for a nice walk, or a slow bike ride. Your body reacts with the fresh air and creates a better mood.

6)      Try to distract yourself with some crafts! When I’m feeling down, I try painting or playing with clay. It keeps my anxiety down, and it also keeps me focused on one thing and not everything at once. I just throw my headphones in my ears, and I just paint whatever makes me happy. I tend to pain pictures of nature and its wild life.

7)      Try your best to have perspective. This is hard when you aren’t feeling great, but it is important.  Seasons change.  Transitions come and go. To use a very over stated phrase, “this too shall pass.”  That doesn’t mean that this transition will be easy, but it won’t last forever. Autumn will come and go, as will winter. And then spring will peak its head out again and we’ll be making our way back to summer.  And then we get to do it again, maybe this time with a little more understanding, tolerance, and practice.

8)      Just breathe. When we are stressed out, we tend to try to get things done either faster or slower than we would when we are relaxed because we do or we don’t want to deal with it at that moment. Just remember to always take a day for yourself to just breathe! Go shopping, go to the spa, read a book, spend some time with the family. Whatever you wish you could do when you are all held up by your nasty to-do list, take a day and make it happen!

9)      Give yourself permission to talk.  If you give yourself permission to talk about the effect seasonal change is having on you, you will most likely find that others understand and validate how you feel. Company is truly healing, and can help big time.

10)   Stay connected and let people know that you are okay. As the weather changes, we all seem to go back indoors and, too often, this isolation contributes to feelings of depression and anxiety.  Reach out to those people in your life whom you feel your best around.

Thank you for reading, and I truly apologize that I haven’t been writing much. As you can tell from this post, I am just now coming out of a little depression that lasted almost two months and I am coming out as a new person. I am going to be writing a lot more because I have much to share!

Thanks for hanging in there with me lovelies!