Surviving Winter

Find Your Happy Place By Naturally Managing and Treating Your Winter Blues

Do you start cringing when you think about the onset of winter? Do you get depressed with the time change? Do you get sad thinking about being cooped up inside?

I do too. And so do millions of other people around the world. I think we can all agree that winter can be a difficult time of the year for many of us. The days get shorter, the weather gets cooler, and we end up spending more time inside and out of the sunlight. To make matters worse it’s also cold and flu season which is never fun.

The winter blues usually begin between September – November and end around March or April when the weather starts to get nice again.

I’ve lived the passed 8 winters in a basement apartment. I also live in the west so winters are cold, long and dark.

I know what it’s like to live with minimal daylight.

Over the years I have learned a few strategies to help me find my happy place and keep the winter blues at bay.  I’d love to share them with you.

In this blog series I will talk about the signs and symptoms of the winter blues (also known as seasonal affective disorder) and how to prevent and manage this annoying issue.

It’s very common, so take heart and know that you are not alone. Many go through this each year; many more don’t even realize what it is.

There are many strategies to handle the winter blues so have hope.

Signs & Symptoms Of The Winter Blues

First off, let’s talk about what it looks like.

• Sleeping more than normal
• Less energy
• Losing interest in activities
• Inability to focus
• Increased appetite
• Increased desire to be alone
• Weight gain
• Disturbed sleep
• Anxiety, inability to cope
• Sadness, gloom, feelings of depression
• Feeling sluggish or agitated

These are some common symptoms but are certainly not all of them. I personally have suffered from just about every single one of these. Until last year that is. Last year, I finally started becoming proactive about this issue and was able to cope MUCH better through the winter.

We know that the winter blues are often times painful. We don’t feel like ourselves, we are gloomy and don’t feel like doing the normal activities we once did.

I am here to tell you, do not fear! When we take control of our health, which we should because no one cares more about your health than YOU, that alone can help us feel empowered. You are taking that first step towards taking care of yourself by reading this book and I commend you for that.

Stay tuned for part 2, and part 3 of this series coming up in the following weeks!

Have a wonderful, healthy day,

~Hannah