Northern Winter Blues
Khovde07
Posts: 508 Member
I'm from Minnesota. The days have been short and the weather has been crappy. I can feel the winter slump affecting my mood. I really think I just need a little sun. How do you guys combat this? I was thinking about taking some vitamin D or hitting a tanning bed for like 10 minutes. What works for you?
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I'm going through the same thing up here in New Hampshire. It was 30 below for 2 weeks straight and now it's nasty and raining/sleeting. Makes it tough to get going in the morning. I was thinking of getting my spray tan on lol. Instant results. I always feel like I look better too.1
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Hey I'm in NH too! Always nice to meet people online from the same area. I've actually heard Doctors say that people that live in northern NH should be taking Vitamin D supplements in most cases. We have the same number of sunny days as Seattle. Might be something to check into if Minnesota is anything like NH in the winter1
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I'm in MN, too, and I have noticed a decent improvement in mood and energy taking vitamin D. Maybe it's placebo, maybe not, but either way, it works. And it's better for your skin than a tanning bed!3
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I'm in VA now and still deal with this a bit. But when I was in NY it was often a struggle. My doctor recommended a Vit D supplement as my blood test showed a deficiency and any morning when it wasn't really awful out I would stand or walk outside for a couple of minutes in the AM. I also made sure to throw open all the shades and curtains first thing just to get that feeling that the sun still existed lol.
I also found that figuring out a good workout I could do inside and at home was really helpful. Otherwise I would skip workouts more often than not (it's too cold to run, it's snowing so I don't want to drive to the gym, etc) which dragged down my mood even more.2 -
Canada over here!! Weather has been disastrous this winter! I try to get outside, whenever I can. Even if it's grey out, at least it's fresh and not stale air. I bought pretty but cheap flowers for my office. I try to get to ethnic food markets and buy "summer island" fruits like mangos, even watermelon.... that triggers something warm and summery in my brain. Once a winter we try to have a warm theme night where we might be lucky enough to be able to bbq and make a batch of daquiris. Aside from that, I try to think of it as seasonal thing.... winter for hot bubble baths, cleaning and organizing, snuggling with a book, while all of the other seasons are busy with their own things (Like being outside most of the time). Hope this helps! Stay warm!9
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Vitamin D and a SAD light (10,000 lux light box) have kept the blues at bay for me this winter. I'm only in Kansas, though, so not as bad off as some of you Northerners. It's too cold up there for me
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Yeah, Um. Canadian here. You just have to get used to it.7
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Another Canadian, and pretty far north. I've learnt people respond differently in the winter to no sun. I know people that have those SAD lights and swear by them. I seem to do a bit better, vitamin D and keeping active and I'm generally ok. I also do tend to get a bit more sleep in winter then summer when it's light all the time and it's easier to be out and about.
Defiantly go out whenever you can, I get it's hard when the weather is crap.2 -
I can relate. In the depths of winter we only get 7 hours daylight so for most people the majority of that is spent inside at work/school so it's not actually seen (out before it's light, home after it's dark). Add to that and the average winter in England is wet and miserable so not much sun around. I guess the answer for me is just get out when I can and keep busy.
The good news is once summer hits there's plenty of daylight (17 1/2 hours a day or something by the solstice) which means we can make the most of the long evenings and stay out until 10 or so in the daylight (wrapped up as it would be cold). I like to think I build up some sunlight reserves then (assuming it's not a typical wet British summer!).3 -
It’s my belief that Vitamin D testing should be free for anyone that lives in a place where it’s dark when you go to work, and dark when you get home. Winter is miserable. MN is hard in the winter. I’m dreading going out to look at my car after the snow storm we had yesterday.3
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I live in Sweden, so it’s pretty dark this time of year. My winter blues have gotten worse for the last 3 years (used to live further south) and this is the second year I’ve taken vitamin D (oct - April).
I do believe the vitamins help and a few of my colleagues also swear by them. They’re not very expensive either. The other thing that’s been a huge help for me is a Phillips wake up light in order to get me out of bed in the morning (and a steady routine improves my mood) as well as making sure I go outside on my lunch hour even if I literally only walk a lap around the building to get some fresh air and daylight (sun is too low to create vitamin d but still helps).
The worst for me is usually November so I make a point of setting aside extra money and vacation days that month so I can have a spa day and take a long weekend or anything else I can think of to treat myself.5 -
I lived in Fairbanks, AK for three years and here are some things that helped me:
- Try to get outside while it is daylight
- Be social. Make plans for game nights and meeting up with friends a couple times per week.
- Stay active.
- Remember that the days are getting longer. Notice it. Be happy about it.
- If it gets really bad, there is nothing wrong with going on meds for a season.
- Have your doc order a vitamin D panel on you. If you are very deficient, it is easily reversed with supplements. There is also nothing wrong with taking 1000 IU daily.
- You could try the tanning bed. I knew some people who used them and it helped them.5 -
Do you have snow? Very bleak, monochrome sceneries? Empty trees? Grab your camera, or if you don't have one you smartphone and go out to take photos. Go to a park, a graveyard, maybe the local botanical garden and just look at what's there. Try to find the beauty in little details or bigger sceneries. Just go out.2
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I'm getting out of this icy hell and heading to Palm Springs next week.
That should help! 6 -
I live in the southeastern US, but am far enough north that we did have a really cold snap right after Christmas. I am not a fan of cold weather, so it always messes with my mood. I know that what I have to deal with isn't nearly as bad as the weather in the northern states. It does help me to go outside some on sunny days even if it's really cold and just for a little bit.
FWIW, I do feel bad for you guys up there with all that harsh weather. I'm not sure I could stand it myself.0 -
Michigan here, and I decided to embrace the mood and blah and cold and dark got a bunch of compression wear full balaclava snow shoes spikes...I get out and wow it makes a difference.3
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New Hampshire here! We have a Happy Light! My husband was stationed in Alaska for a few years and worked the swing shift...he used it during the months where it would stay dark pretty much all day...they replicate natural sunlight and are supposed to boost your mood!0
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I have a sunlamp (10 000 lux) and also a Philips wake up lamp. Both are very helpful. Of the two, I find the most difference with the wake-up lamp. It simulates a sunrise so it is bright in your room before your alarm goes off. Most days I wake up a few minutes before my alarm because of the brightness in my room. I have had issues with SAD for the past few years and this is the first year in quite a few one that I feel pretty good (though I still have some off days). Look into the wake-up lamp - I highly recommend it!0
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i'm pretty far south for a canadian, but we usually have a heavy overcast straight through the winter, so with only 8 hours of 'daylight' anyway that can really add up.
i do much better the years i just keep on riding my bike. the being outside is a big part of it, but the other part for me is about lifting my eyes. when i'm in a car my gaze always stays near the ground, because obviously tahts what you ought to look at. but on a bike i get a lot more of those micro-breaks that remind me i can still look at the sky.
i don't know if i'm just a bit strange, but i'm no fan of strong sun or even really of direct light. i find it helps me a LOT to actually look at the sky and see all the texture and dimension even a wall-to-wall overcast actually has. it keeps my spirits from getting earthbound. sounds airy-fairy and hokey and all but my brain does seem to respond to dimension and space just as much as sunlight.3 -
I'm from Minnesota. The days have been short and the weather has been crappy. I can feel the winter slump affecting my mood. I really think I just need a little sun. How do you guys combat this? I was thinking about taking some vitamin D or hitting a tanning bed for like 10 minutes. What works for you?
Tanning beds still exist? They're banned here!
Anyway, when I lived in Canada, in the middle of winter, I would ...
-- travel to somewhere warmer and sunnier for a week or two
-- go to a bright, airy and warm gym ... one of the Canadian prairie cities I lived in had the greatest gym! The treadmills overlooked the swimming pool that was surrounded by tropical-like trees ...
-- get involved in snow sports like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowbiking, etc.
-- go out for walks at lunch
-- fill my office with pictures of tropical places
And then, after about 40 years of that ... I moved to Australia.
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I'm up north too, but in Northern Ireland where the days are starting to lengthen slightly but its dreary and miserable - plenty of liquid sunshine! Exercise really helps. Thank goodness for being able to workout indoors when the weather is nasty, my home is my gym!
I firmly believe a daily dose of exercise keeps me happy and healthy
Plus it really helps to get out for walks, wrap up warmly and get out into the fresh air, its hard to beeat 1 -
north Canadian too. no time to think about it, get out there and get moving and forget about it.3
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I need light too. I feel depressed when it’s all dark. It’s annoying because my husband always wants it to be dark and when I turn on the lights he complains about it hurting his eyes. My house doesn’t have any nicely placed windows to let in a lot of light
maybe I will try vit D supplements. I just got back from a week in Mexico and I currently have a picture of the beach/palm tree on the desktop background. It makes me happy. 1 -
I only live in NC, but due to my work hours I get pretty much no sun all winter.
I take vitamin D (with calcium since I'm in my 40's) from September to March because the last time I had bloodwork in the winter my doc said to add 1000 units/day. It takes a few weeks to build up in your system, but I definitely notice a difference if I stop supplementing in the winter time.
I use Nature's Way Alive Max Bone Absorbtion - mostly because the calcium is from red algae and my stomach seems to tolerate it better than other types.0 -
I need light too. I feel depressed when it’s all dark. It’s annoying because my husband always wants it to be dark and when I turn on the lights he complains about it hurting his eyes. My house doesn’t have any nicely placed windows to let in a lot of light maybe I will try vit D supplements. I just got back from a week in Mexico and I currently have a picture of the beach/palm tree on the desktop background. It makes me happy.
My freaking coworkers have been really annoying this year about not turning on the lights in the AM (I work in an open office with 5-20 coworkers, depending on the time of day and week). We've got a big wall o'windows, which is great during the sunnier months, but when it's overcast and cold, I need the lights on! I think only a couple of people have actual opinions on the matter, and the rest are too Midwestern to rock the boat.0 -
When I moved to Pittsburgh, PA from sunny Colorado the winter blues hit me hard. I went to see a Dr. Definitely Vit. D and a sun lamp helped but I started playing indoor tennis. Signed up for group beginner lessons and had a blast. It was fun shedding the winter clothes and playing in shorts for 90 minutes twice a week. It helped me survive those winters.
I was in my late 40's at the time. I still play social tennis two times a week.
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Michigan here!
Do you have any botanical gardens near you? A greenhouse you can go in? Butterfly house at the zoo?
I visit those places alot. I tell my husband "I need to see things that are green".
I'll just walk around there...aaahhh...so nice! They're little tropical oasises in the bleak winter!
Also, SAUNA! Do you have a community rec center? You can usually get a day pass. Workout, hit the sauna. The heat feels so good - it's like the kind of heat that warms you through to your bones. So lovely.
And, last but not least...EMBRACE IT! Admittedly, I am terrible at this, but there's a saying, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothes" So, find someplace fun and interesting to walk around, DRESS APPROPRIATELY (snowpants, long underwear) and pretend you like winter! (bringing spiked coffee always helps me with this)
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Its why I drink, LOL.6
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Personally, I enjoy this time of year, or whenever it rains really. I find it calming and it brings everyone else down a peg.2
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