Three Simple Steps to Beat the Winter Blues

My wife and I were lying in bed this morning wondering why on earth our children were running all over the house at such an early hour. After shouting various things in an attempt to curtail the Crack-o-dawn shenanigans, I angrily tossed back the covers and began the heavy footed march of doom with the intent of politely informing them in a loving fashion that if they ever woke me up at an ungodly hour such as this again I would be forced to search for new homes for at least three of them. To make sure I had the facts to illustrate my point, I glanced at the clock on my way across the room to find two things. First, my still-too-noisy-for-this-time-of-the-morning children were not as guilty as I had thought them to be. Second, it was already 7:00am and I was going to be late to work.

The change of seasons is hard to deal with for many reasons. The shorter days, the chilly weather, the dark mornings all combine to wreak havoc on the schedules our bodies have grown accustomed to during the long, hot summers. Aptly acronymed Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), affects some of us more prominently than others. "People affected by seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD, may feel overly tired, lack motivation and even have trouble getting out of bed," says Dr. Angelos Halaris, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Loyola University Chicago Stitch School of Medicine.

For seniors struggling with dementia and Alzheimer's, the affects of SAD compound what are already a challenging collection of symptoms.

Here some simple steps you can take to battle the SAD-ness:

1. Get Outside- 
Despite the shorter days, we are still blessed to have relatively warm weather and beautiful fall foliage in North Carolina. Getting outside to enjoy the sunlight is one of the best things you can do to avoid SAD. Exposing your skin to sunshine is helpful as well. If weather permits, expose your arms to the sunlight and avoid wearing sunglasses if possible.
2. Let the Sunshine In-
Open the curtains and drapes to let in as much of the outside light as possible. Consider leaving the blinds in your bedroom open when you go to sleep in order to allow the sunlight to stream in as soon as it comes up in the morning. For homes with poor lighting, light therapy boxes are available that are designed to mimic the effects of sun exposure. Always consult your physician before engaging in light therapy.
3. Exercise-
There is nothing that sabotages my exercise regiment more than the foods of fall. Squash, root vegetables, pot roast, and all of their fatty friends make me want to lie on the couch catch up on past episodes of Downton Abbey. Make yourself exercise. The endorphins released by even 30 minutes of daily activity can have a profound affect on your energy levels.


None of these are revolutionary concepts. None of these things are hard to do. These are all of the things that your great grandmother would have encouraged you to do long before we made up a fancy name for how we feel starting in October. Unfortunately, what is easy to do is also easy not to do.

For more information on Seasonal Affective Disorder click here