Northern Winter Blues

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  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited January 2018
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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! :smile: I firmly believe a daily dose of exercise keeps me happy and healthy :smile:

    Plus it really helps to get out for walks, wrap up warmly and get out into the fresh air, its hard to beeat :smile:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    north Canadian too. no time to think about it, get out there and get moving and forget about it.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    edited January 2018
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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.
  • Meghanebk
    Meghanebk Posts: 321 Member
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    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.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited January 2018
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    hesn92 wrote: »
    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.
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 984 Member
    edited January 2018
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    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.
  • NoxeemaJackson
    NoxeemaJackson Posts: 102 Member
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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)
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    TravisJHunt wrote: »
    Its why I drink, LOL.

    Perfectly acceptable Canadian response to the winter :)
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,217 Member
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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.
  • JillianRumrill
    JillianRumrill Posts: 335 Member
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    Upstate NY here- I try to get as much sunshine as possible, even if it's just standing in the window like a plant! LOL
    When it's gloomy out, I try to use it to my advantage and tap into my dark side- listening to terrifying ghost stories. It may not cheer anyone else up, but they certainly brighten my day :)
    Also, since I'm on a medication right now that is slowly draining the life outta me, when I get home, I make my life extra cozy. I wrap myself up in a soft blanket, drink hot tea, and spend time with my honey.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
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    NoxeemaJackson wrote: »
    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)

    These are all great ideas!
    Let me preface my response by saying that I live in a very small town. We have the only 2 stoplights in the county...

    We have a botanical garden but it's closed for the winter and no greenhhouse :(

    My gym has a sauna but it's been closed for years so no heat there.

    I try to embrace it as much as possible. I do enjoy winter most of the time. But I work in an office where I'm arriving when it's dark and leaving when it's dark (I hate this specific stretch of winter). Staying active has been helping but I think most of us experience some kind of grumps this time of year. Getting outside helps a little but not quite enough. I think I might try those vitamin D supplements that other people said helped them. Does anyone have a brand they prefer?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I'm in Chicago, and I hate the limited light in the winter (and cold and snow -- I know others have it worse, of course). I take D, don't know if it helps or is a placebo, but I figure it can't hurt. I've thought about trying the blue light, but one thing that I find helps if -- if I can -- watching the sunrise or just being outside for a bit in the morning once it is light. I do notice that I feel happier on super cold days where it's sunny than the many dreary days even when it's a bit warmer.

    Here I have to walk to and from the L and for errands and so on, no matter the weather, and I think being forced to be outside helps, really. If I can keep with morning runs outdoors, that's good to, but of course sometimes it's not possible.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    I'm in Wisconsin, but winter is my favorite season. Find an activity that gets you outdoors. Running, snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, etc.

    I used to work in a windowless building and would go the whole season without seeing the sun. That is extremely unhealthy for anyone. Need to get outside and get some actual sunlight.
  • Plussizebarbie17
    Plussizebarbie17 Posts: 33 Member
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    Michigan Girl all the way! I would rather live here even though the air may hurt my face.... We don't have all the nasty snakes and creepy crawly things the south has... I don't mind the snow but I dislike the rain.
  • ms_true
    ms_true Posts: 43 Member
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    I cope with the gym. Lots of days the weather can be so dreary and grey I might not get out if I didn't go for a gym session. Walk or run on rare sunshine days. Crafts. Meeting friends for breakfast every Saturday morning.

    Hygge - tucking in and getting cosy and appreciating the dark nights with: an open fire, Himalayan salt lamps, candles, hot baths, sauna, warm socks, blankets and pillows, binge watching netflix, reading, music, tasty soups and stews. And vitamin d.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,948 Member
    edited January 2018
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    marmeer25 wrote: »
    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!

    I have a sunrise wake up feature on my light that I never use that I'm going to try - thanks!

    Might get a Philips wake up lamp for my mom, who has a terrible time dragging herself out of bed in the AM.

    I'm looking at this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093162RM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Reviewers with the cheaper model were complaining about the overly bright LED time display and the obnoxious alarm sound.

    71jJKcgN5gL._SY679_.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,948 Member
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    NoxeemaJackson wrote: »
    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)

    I used to work at a liberal arts college with a greenhouse that was just a treasure to visit in the winter.

    I'm in Massachusetts and do bundle up and walk at lunch time. I was more disciplined about it a few winters back - got outside every work day that wasn't pouring rain. I think that really helped.

    Earlier this week, we had a few gloomy days in a row and my spirits were really down - maybe next time I will get a day pass at the Y and sauna!

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