Do the winter blues weigh heavily during long winter nights? It could be SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is getting you down. Also known as ‘the winter blues’, it can make you feel as bleak as the greyest of days. Here’s a quick Stiltz Homelifts guide to SAD…
What is SAD?
SAD can affect your mood; arriving like a dark cloud in late autumn and not lifting until the spring sunshine breaks through. The pesky culprit is caused by lack of sunlight during shorter winter days. It wreaks havoc with our body’s internal biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This can lead to the disruption of serotonin; a naturally occurring chemical responsible for our mood. Depleted serotonin means you can feel like you’re down in the dumps for no particular reason. Women are more affected than men and countries with longer periods of darkness, experience more cases.
What are the symptoms?
SAD manifests as a persistently low mood along with loss of interest in activities you usually jump at taking part in. Changes in sleep patterns can also occur, along with irritability and in some extreme cases, depression and a sense of despair. If the winter blues arrive at your door and stay with you until the longer days bursts back into your life, then it might be SAD that’s actually making you – sad.
How do I shut out SAD?
It’ll come as no surprise that adding light back into your life can improve symptoms. Sufferers report sunlight-mimicking lamps and alarm clocks are extremely helpful. Just a thirty minute burst of light can help lift that mood when you’re feeling sluggish. The alarm clock will wake you gently from your slumber by gradually releasing light into the room helping your body wake up without a rapid jolt and setting you up for the day.
Getting out and about, even on a miserable day will also help stimulate your mood. Sometimes, it feels we’re constantly being told ‘going for a walk’ is the cure for all our ills, but the power of light albeit wintery and weak, does have a genuine physical and psychological benefit. Even if all you can manage is to pop to the shops it all counts towards boosting that serotonin.
If you can manage it, a cheeky break somewhere in the winter sun might raise you from the doldrums. There’s the reason why so many sun-seekers spend the darker days in sunnier climes.
Self Care
Remember though, if low feelings persist it’s important to speak with a GP to help you get back on form.
We’re big on self care at Stiltz Homelifts. Sadly, we can’t cure SAD but we like to think you might feel more yourself with a Stiltz home lift on hand. Just that little extra peace of mind and ease of moving around at home could shine a ray of light over the ‘stairs of despair’ bringing you optimism and renewed confidence.
With a domestic lift from Stiltz, there are brighter days ahead.