Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), commonly referred to as Seasonal Depression or the Winter Blues is a condition that can trigger depression that reappears every year, usually in the fall/winter, when days get shorter and weather gets cooler.
Symptoms include: difficulty waking up, sleeping longer hours, sudden lack of energy, lack of focus, joint and muscle pain, irritability, anxiety, craving carbohydrate-rich foods and gaining weight. Severe cases may affect your ability to work, meet family obligations and engage socially. If you find yourself feeling blue, when others are singing Christmas carols and feeling jolly, you may have seasonal depression. You should consult a friend or a doctor.
Try some of these options for relief: light simulators, exercise, sticking to a daily routine, talking to a therapist, taking an antidepressant, or planning a winter vacation.
The best thing to combat seasonal blues is the SUNSHINE, make it a point to open your blinds, sit by a window and take in some of the rays from inside. If you wake up early in the mornings, before the sun rises, consider using a sunrise simulator alarm clock. Purchase a light box, sitting in front of a light simulator for a few minutes in the mornings or evenings, is a proven method to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Some even find relief from laying in a tanning bed. The warmth of the bulbs and the brightness that radiates within the room can give you a 10 minute simulated beach vacation.
While most doctors urge against tanning, and we will not disagree that you should take precautions when exposed to any sunlight real and artificial, I recommend using a sunscreen while in the tanning bed, limit your time and sessions, and always evaluate the risk versus reward for your personal lifestyle.
If you or someone you know is battling seasonal depression, reach out to us. DayBreak Salon will work with you to come up with a tanning schedule that fits your budget. If the budget is $0, we can work with that too, depression is real, and we are in this fight together. Contact Lindsey at daybreak_salon@yahoo.com or Moms Breaking the Silence at endthestigma4@gmail.com for more information on how we can help.
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