As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to drop, many of us start to cut back on our outdoor activities and settle in for the long, cold winter.
When you add in the cloudy days of late fall and winter here in the Ohio Valley, you have the perfect recipe for the winter blues. This winter depression is known as SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
We end up with the winter blues due to less hours of sunlight and a decrease in our level of activity.
When we stay indoors more, our bodies end up with a negative ion deficiency that causes decreased levels of serotonin. This leaves us feeling tired and depressed.
The lack of adequate sunlight also increases the melatonin in our bodies and disrupts our longer sleep patterns.
One of the most popular ways to keep the winter blues away is through light therapy.
When there is a sunny day, head outside and let yourself soak up some sunshine. In your house, start changing your light bulbs to full spectrum bulbs. They will produce lighting in your house that is closer to true sunlight.
Another thing we can do is exercise. Take a brisk walk outside, head to the mall or find something that you like to do. This could be as simple as singing or dancing.
We can also increase the negative ions in our body. Many of us already do this without even knowing it when we burn wood in our fireplace or fire pits.
During the Christmas season, we can increase our exposure to negative ions by decorating with plants and greenery and burning candles made from beeswax. Plants produce negative ions as well as burning wood and beeswax.
Our social gatherings during Christmas and the winter season allow us to regenerate our bodies and stave off the winter blues.
They give us something to look forward to and a means to socialize and invigorate ourselves. Whether it is singing, dancing, or enjoying an outdoor winter festival, it breaks the monotony and revives our spirit.
These celebrations are not new and Midwinter Festivals, that occurred on the longest night of the year, date back to the beginnings of civilization.
