Don't Let Adverse Winter Weather Ruin Your Mood

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I’ve got a few things to say to our friends living in the American Northeast currently buried beneath what seems like 30 feet of snow. First, sorry. Second, be sure to take care of yourselves while serving out your sentences in your subarctic prisons. As CNN‘s Ben Tinker writes, you’re all at risk of suffering from what’s called seasonal affective disorder or, fittingly, SAD. I wrote about SAD three months ago, but that was before the heavens dumped a million metric tons of solid water on your heads, enclosing you in a frozen sanctuary of solitude, solemnity, and inconvenience. At least the Pats won the Super Bowl, right?

Tinker walks through the basic symptoms and supposed causes of SAD. The latter consists mostly of having your circadian rhythms go off beat and not getting enough sunlight. Sitting around at your window all day staring outside, painfully endeavoring to remember what the other seasons look like doesn’t help. That’s why Tinker suggests the following to get yourself more up and at ’em and less down and sad ’em:

“Get outside. Bundle up and take a walk, even a short one. Even on a cold or cloudy day, outdoor light can help — especially if you soak it in within the first few hours or waking up in the morning.

Make time to work out. Exercise helps decrease stress and anxiety, both of which can increase symptoms of SAD. As we all know, being more in shape can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.

Last but not least: socialize. When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to be social, but that’s when it’s most important to connect with those around you.”