Feature/General
Say Goodbye to Winter Blues
Healthy Ways to Boost Your Spirits
By Carol Sorgen
Jan/Feb 2007

The holidays are over and now all there is to look forward to is ... winter, with its seemingly endless days of dark, dreary weather.

Fortunately, there are ways to boost your mood, many of which you may not have thought of. Here are a few suggestions to help you beat the winter blues.

Change Your Routine
It's not necessarily the weather itself that brings on the blahs, but the fact that the weather can keep you indoors, says life coach Leslie Levine, MS, MBA. Instead of bemoaning cabin fever, focus on activities that lend themselves to being indoors - journaling, organizing your office, cleaning out your closets, inviting friends over for dinner.

If, on the other hand, you tend to favor more indoor pursuits anyway, change your routine and head outdoors. Break out of your comfort zone and try something new - biking, perhaps, or a brisk walk with a friend.

Deep Breathing
We all know how to breathe, but too many of us breathe with short, shallow breaths. The less oxygen that flows through our body, the more tense we feel, says Adrian Calabrese, PhD, a holistic therapist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and author of 10 Spiritual Steps to a Magical Life: Meditations and Affirmations for Personal Growth and Happiness. A daily deep breathing meditation of just one minute in the morning and one minute in the evening (of course, more won't hurt you) will remove much of the clutter in your brain. Deep breathing also calms you down when you've got that restless, bored "cabin fever" feeling, while restoring energy to sluggish cells.

Aromatherapy
Different scents can bring about different moods. Lemon grass and peppermint, for example, lift your spirit, while lavender and chamomile have a soothing effect. Use scented bath salts, bath oils, or candles, or apply oils directly to your pulse points. A diffuser is also a good way to fill your room with your chosen scent.

Exercise
Low to moderate intensity physical activity - 30 to 90 minutes every day - induces positive changes in our immune system, says John Seifert, PhD, associate professor of exercise science at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. This translates into fewer sick days from the common cold and other upper respiratory tract infections. Not only can your physical well being be improved through activity, but symptoms of depression, tension, and anger - all of which may be more common during this season - can also be minimized through daily physical activity.

"Physical activity is a great combatant for depression," says outdoor adventure expert Brian Brawdy. "An easy walk through the park, a weekend hike in a local forest, or simply catching a sunset now and then, are great ways to keep your body and mind fresh and healthy. Hibernation is great for bears, not so for humans."

Light Therapy
If your winter blues seriously disrupt your life, you may actually be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (aptly known as SAD). The widely accepted treatment for SAD is exposure to bright light (light therapy or phototherapy).

We usually can't get enough bright sunshine during the winter to make an adequate difference, especially on rainy days or in cold climates. Portable desktop light boxes which can sit on your desk, or in front of a TV or exercise bike, can provide adequate exposure if used for 30 to 60 minutes each morning.

Massage
Massage can help promote relaxation, reduce stress, and perhaps even boost your mood, says Susan Lang, co-author with Michael E. Thase, MD, of Beating the Blues: New Approaches to Overcoming Dysthymia and Chronic Mild Depression. Massage can help reduce muscle tension and promote pleasure, says Lang, something that many people with a low level of depression lack.

Yoga
Yoga, which literally means "union" in Sanskrit, is also a restorative practice that can help invigorate as well as relax you, says Thomas Claire, author of Yoga for Men: Postures for Healthy, Stress Free Living

"Some people experience the winter blahs because the cold and the dark make them feel less like getting physical exercise," says Claire. Doing the physical practices of yoga can be a great way to get physical exercise at a time when you might feel more like becoming a couch potato.

Muscle Relaxation
The winter blues consist of both depression and stress, says Dan Johnston, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science for Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Ga. Although we can't live stress free, we can learn to undo what stress does to us. The following relaxation exercise quickly reduces muscle tension throughout your body. Practice this simple, 10 minute exercise every day, says Johnston, and winter stress won't take its toll on you.

Sitting comfortably in a chair, make a fist with your hands. Hold the tension for 10 seconds and then relax. Do the same thing with the biceps. Raise both arms and create tension. Hold the pose for 10 seconds and then relax. Work your way up to your face and forehead and then down to your chest and belly, and then down to your legs and to your toes. Create and hold tension in all the major muscle groups. When you finish, you will have pushed your muscles into a state of relaxation.

Here are a few other suggestions to help lift your mood:

• Bring a new plant into the house to create a spring like atmosphere.
• Look at the color orange, the color of cheerfulness. No need to repaint the house; just place an orange on your desk.
• Crank up the music or whatever makes you feel happy and brings back memories of good times.
• Stay connected to other people. We tend to be more isolated in the winter. If you can't get out, rely on phone or email.