It’s November, and you may be feeling affected by the change in temperature, time, and daylight, which is completely normal. Whether you suffer from Seasonal Depression, or you simply become less motivated around this time of year, just know that there are things you can do to feel better.
The most common symptoms that occur around this time of year include fatigue, daytime drowsiness, lack of interest or motivation, social withdrawal, anxiety, and/or depression. Spending more time indoors as the cold weather moves in is enough to cause all these feelings, so let's look at 3 things you can do to beat the seasonal blues.
3 Things You Can Do for Your Mental Health
1- Open up about your feelings to a professional: It helps to talk and get things off your chest. If you’re simply feeling social withdrawal and need to get out a bit, then reach out to a friend. Make a date to walk it out and talk it out. However, if you’re struggling with deeper mental health issues like anxiety, or depression, then try to seek help from a professional. Get advice from an expert who is trained to handle these issues.
2- Take the weekend off to do things you enjoy: First begin by disconnecting from social media, emails, and work on the weekends. If not, you may feel stuck in a loop like you’re always online. Make time for family, friends, exercise, or a hobby. In many ancient societies, if you came to the medicine healer complaining of being depressed, they would ask these questions:
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories?
When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
This shows how important hobbies, arts, comedy, sports, community, meditation, or having a practice are to maintaining mental health. Most importantly- enjoying them!
3- Remember, don't be too hard on yourself: It is time to accept the cycles of your life. Energy levels rise and fall, notice the flow and simply go with it. If we have one day where we’re running at 100% and feeling great about it, then simply expect and accept that the following day you might feel more at 80%... or perhaps even down to 50%... and that’s ok. Our energy levels are a lot like hiking, once you reach the peak, you can’t stay up there day after day. You have to climb back down to basecamp to rest, recharge, get supplies. Then you’re ready to get back out there. Some days we climb mountains, other days we only make it up a mound. It’s all based on the conditions of your body. Asses how you feel each day and respect your energy levels. Living with this mindfulness can help you feel more in control and more balanced throughout your life.
Lastly, for more assistance, please reach out to me at www.thebodyblog.ca/contact.
Whether you choose massage therapy, Reiki, or nutrition to boost your mental health, I know there’s something greater we can achieve together!
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