Winter in South Dakota. We are stuck inside, a lot. It’s not for the faint of heart. Here are my tips to beat the winter blues.
Happy Light
Last year, I took the risk of spending about $75 on this lamp. I’ve heard about it for years, but honestly thought it was a joke. But seriously, it works. These things make a difference. I use it every morning, right after I grab my coffee, between 10-30 minutes. I try for the 30 but with 4 kids,but I am not always so lucky to get to sit that long. I’m not exactly sure how it works, but I think it has something to do with tricking your brain into thinking there is more light. I might be totally wrong on that part though. I’m not too big on the whys, just on if it works or not.
Vitamin D
I take vitamin D everyday. I have for years and years, but wasn’t until about 3 years ago though, that I discovered you can’t just take any vitamin D and call it good. You also need vitamin K2. Vitamin D controls the absorption of calcium into the blood. Vitamin K2 controls where that calcium ends up. I have a bottle of Vitamin D3-K2. I do about 5-10 drops a day. Each drop has 1208 IU of D3. Now, let me clarify here, I am not a doctor. Do your own research. This is just what I do. There are many things out there that say too much vitamin D is bad. Figure out what is best for you.
Get dressed everyday
This might be a weird one for some of you. I work at home. Rarely do I have to go anywhere. So, to keep my hair in a mom bun everyday and my pajamas on is a real possibility. However, I make it a priority to get myself together (at least a little bit) everyday. Quite honestly, I probably wear more makeup in the winter than I do in the other seasons when I’m actually around people. It helps me feel better about myself though when I’m super pasty white. (Gotta do what makes you feel good folks!)
Eat your greens
Seriously. Just eat them. I know you want to snuggle up on the couch with a box of cookies but the salad will help you feel better, in every way. Your waist and your brain will thank you. If I have learned anything in the last decade, it’s that your diet can heal anything and it can cause anything. Learn to eat healthy and the odds of you beating anything are very high. So, go clean up your diet anyway you can.
Get moving
Bust out your tae-bo tapes. Turn on your beachbody on demand. Youtube zumba classes. Whatever floats your boat but just get moving everyday. Even if it’s using your stairs as the worlds most boring stairmaster. If it’s not too terribly windy, go outside for a walk. That’s probably the best one. The psychological and physical effects of exercise have been shown to improve mood, so get moving.
These are the things that I personally have done to control winter depression. These tips come tried by me and have worked. About 5 years ago, my husband discovered that I was just a different person in January, February, and March. I wasn’t happy and it took us a few years to discover that I had seasonal depression. Each year has progressively gotten better as I have added these tips into my life.
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