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4 Ways To Up Your Mood When The Weather Is Down
January 9, 2021
There’s always that time of the year when you feel down and out. This could be attributed to a million and one factors around you. Interestingly, the weather and change in seasons is not an item to neglect. Yes, the weather! Don’t be shocked, spend a few minutes to find out how in this article from our friends at HigherDOSE.com; and up your mood this time.
In the US it’s officially #PSL season, which means it’s time to put on cozy knits, binge watch Netflix, light a million candles, and excitedly cancel plans with friends.
Even though some look to fall and winter as a time to get hygge, the novelty of the season can wear off quickly as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, lowering our moods and affecting our health.
People often joke about “winter blues” and Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it’s actually a diagnosable type of depression that is prompted by cold weather and less sunlight (and affects 5% of Americans).
It’s not in your head.
The sun naturally releases a broad spectrum of light throughout the day to help signal our body’s many functions.
In the morning and afternoons, we take in more blue light to release cortisol, so we have the energy to be more productive. In the evenings, we’re meant to start winding down with red light and infrared as a way to prompt our melatonin production to facilitate better sleep.
When the days are shorter and colder, we’re taking in less energy-giving light, nutrient-dense vitamin D (which is necessary for immune function), and fewer healing vibrations from nature’s fresh air, resulting in lower energy, chronic fatigue, increased hunger and interrupted sleep. Plain and simple: Good, nourishing recovery is a lot harder to achieve.
However, don’t let this info get you down.
Here are some quick and easy ways to hack your mood as the seasons change:
Primarily, happiness comes from the feel-good chemicals stimulated in our brains. They include:
Dopamine | A hormone and neurotransmitter that stimulates the nervous system functions like pleasure and attention.
Oxytocin | Aka the “love hormone” that decreases stress and anxiety levels.
Serotonin | A neurotransmitter that is often released by the sun and infrared light therapy. It’s essential for balancing mood, memory, sleep, and sexual desire.
Endorphins | A group of hormones that reduce pain and increase pleasure and overall well-being. They are often released during exercise, hence the term, “a runner’s high.”
You have the liberty to stimulate all of these chemicals daily; if you can’t stimulate everything, at all cost, aim to get a dose of at least one of them.
Lightboxes, along with infrared therapy, are a popular treatment option for seasonal affective disorder.
There is a broad spectrum of light therapies:
Sunlamps | Improves Vitamin D absorption and increase overall energy levels
Red Light Therapy | Focuses more on deeply-penetrating muscles and tissues to calm the skin, manage hormone production, and boost the immune system
If you can’t spend 30 minutes or more in the sun per day and are faced with a dark sky when you wake up in the morning, consider a light therapy box first thing when you wake up to help get your body on a normal schedule.
The Japanese practice something called shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest-bathing.
“But how do I bathe in a forest?!” Don’t take it literally.
It’s just the act of being in nature and connecting to yourself through your senses. It helps to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure to relax the body and focus the mind.
The reason being in nature is considered such a healing, mood-boosting activity is because plants release the chemical, phytoncide, which has antibacterial and antifungal qualities that can increase our white blood cells and help strengthen our immune response to foreign invaders.
Nature also gives off literal good vibrations. The Earth has a natural frequency of 7.8hz, which sends low-level frequency through our bodies to help recharge our cells and heal us from the inside out.
If you don’t live near nature, or it’s too cold to go outside, consider:
Like bears who eat more as they prepare to hibernate during the winter months, we, too, get excited to indulge as the weather gets colder.
BUT, managing seasonal depression and keeping your mood HIGH starts with eliminating sugar when you can.
Refined starches and carbs that lack fibre and are high-glycemic can directly impact your hormones, which directly affects your happy chemicals.
Your gut manages the majority of the hormone production in your body and sends direct messages to your brain. When you consume sugar, you end up feeding bad bacteria in your gut that can throw the chemicals in your brain off-balance.
Sticking with whole foods that are nutrient-dense is ideal, but if you do decide you want to get into the goodies, try one of these detoxes to reset your system and get you back on track.
The right frame of mind at all time cannot be overemphasized. In that time and season of the year when the weather also gets you down alongside external activities, take time out to consider these few steps:
Step out for some vitamin D from nature, eat just right and stimulate enough happy vibes to keep you in top gear.
Your mood absolutely affects your health and productivity.
Have you been affected by the weather? How did you up your mood in your lowest low? Are these tips helpful and relevant to you?
Do leave a comment below, we’ll be happy to hear how you feel.
More Reading:
“This article is originally posted on HigherDOSE.com”
Editing by AskAwayHealth Team
Disclaimer
All AskAwayHealth articles are written by practising Medical Practitioners on a wide range of health care conditions to provide evidence-based guidance and to help promote quality health care. The advice in our material is not meant to replace the management of your specific condition by a qualified health care practitioner.
To discuss your condition, please contact a health practitioner or reach us directly through info@askawayhealth.org
Image Credits: Canva and Unsplash
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