Finding Light in the Dark Months

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January 18, 2010 by Melisa M. | Comments (0)

Our definition of winter is more or less “the dark time”. Clouds, rain and 4pm sunsets have a way of draining all the energy out of you until you almost can’t remember what the brightness and warmth of the summer months felt like. If you happen to live in a northern country, you probably know exactly the feeling. We spend a majority of the fall months gathering, celebrating and being thankful with family, good food and colorful warm lights. What a perfect time of year for whole cities to light up and fight the darkness. But come January 2^nd, the plug is pulled. The family is gone, the diet starts, the work resumes, the lights go out and you’re left alone. Some people even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder that causes depressive symptoms in the winter months. Here are just a couple of ways to bring the light back into the dark months.

Your home is the most important place to fill with warmth and light. It’s where you go to get away from work or errands or anything that leaves you dealing with stress and the dark outdoors that always seem to encroach on your happiness. Don’t leave your home too dark. It’s easy to leave a light bulb unchanged for weeks  after it’s burned out because you just can’t seem to get around to it. You may be able to live with it, but you’d be surprised to realize how much the change in light actually affects your mood. Some psychologists suggest using full-spectrum lighting to help treat SAD. Full spectrum is a type of light that covers the entire electro-magnetic spectrum from infrared to near ultra-violet. This is the closest type of artificial light that man has been able to produce to emulate natural sunlight.

Stay connected with your friends and family. Have a summer-themed party in your home with tropical drinks and bright outfits to help remind yourself that summer is coming and your attitude is what you make it. You have the power to make yourself optimistic and so do your friends. When you’re down, shop in indoor malls or go to the movies and see a bright comedy (nothing gets you down more than watching a dark depressing movie in a dark theater in the middle of a dark nasty winter). Take a hot yoga class or just exercise at the gym instead of fighting the weather.

Exercise! It’s been proven scientifically that the lack of light and the cold temperatures of winter cause some people’s bodies to go into a sort of hibernation response where they are more fatigued, find themselves hungrier and actually have more trouble burning fat. Not only does exercise fight off the extra weight but the added oxygen flow to your brain is crucial in raising energy levels, stimulating your mind and boosting your mood.

Or if you’re like some of us you’ll just keep the Christmas tree up till February and leave the shades closed so the neighbors can’t tell. Whatever you do, the most important thing is to keep a positive attitude because spring always follows winter.

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” –Chinese Proverb

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