Do You Have a Case of the Winter Blues?

Besides the usual challenges that you may face while you are searching for a job, some individuals may also face another challenge this time of year – namely dealing with the “winter blues”. Winter blues affects about one in five Americans as the number of hours with daylight decreases; the more severe form of winter blues is referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD).

During the winter season, the sun of course rises later and the sun sets sooner. Moreover, the further you are away from the equator, the shorter your days will be and the likelihood that you will suffer from the “winter blues” increases. As an example, in Chicago, the sun is only up for approximately nine hours during an average December. The result? A whopping fifteen hours of darkness in just one day.

Some symptoms of the “winter blues” include lethargy, social withdrawal, and developing cravings for carbohydrates. Some scientists believe that the people that develop “winter blues” are more sensitive to any changes in light. Along similar lines, other scientists believe that serotonin levels in people affected by the winter blues decreases when there is less light.

All that said, how do you go about minimizing the effect that the decreased amount of light has on you? By doing the following:

Even though that you do not feel like it, you should exercise on a regular basis. Moreover, you should try to reduce the number of refined carbohydrates you intake.

Increase your personal exposure to light. For instance, you can spend time outdoors on midday lunch breaks, open your blinds to receive maximum light, add extra lights in rooms, and even go away to warmer climate.

Engage in light therapy and utilize a light therapy box. This type of box imitates natural outdoor light and is believed to positively affect mood-related chemicals in the brain. In order to obtain results from this light box, you would simply sit in front of this light box for a certain set time each day.

To conclude then, while some people may suffer from a case of the winter blues during the winter season, there are ways to overcome these feelings.

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Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines.