SAD can affect us mainly in the winter time.
SAD symptoms can creep up on you, so it’s crucial to recognise the symptoms and find time to manage them and they can often be worse due to a lack of daylight and Vitamin D.
The early signs of SAD are lethargy, wanting to stay in bed, not wanting to go out and not wanting to see anyone.
People suffering with SAD may also crave carbohydrates, see an increase in weight, as well as feeling irritable on a regular basis.
It’s important that if you see these issues in yourself, you investigate a bit further and even book in to see your GP.
It’s likely you’ll find it hard to find the motivation to fix everything when you’re feeling like this but remember that small changes make a big difference.
Start by going for a walk one day, talking to someone once and build on this week by week.
Here are our top tips to help reduce the risk of SAD and manage the symptoms:
✅ For a lot of people, talking through your feelings really helps. This depends on the type of person you are and may work better for extroverts but it’s definitely worth a try. A problem shared is a problem halved
✅ Exercise is one of the best things you can do but remember this isn’t always a full fix. Try and build this up gradually with some online Bootcamp classes and buddy sessions
✅ Vitamin D supplements can massively reduce the risk and symptoms of SAD
✅ Mindfulness and meditation will give you time to check in with your feelings and deal with them
✅ Focus on a better diet with good nutrition. Eat fresh, focus on a variety of foods and cook for yourself
✅ Spend as much time outside in the daylight as you can. If you’re working from home your lunchtimes are really valuable for this
✅ Reduce your alcohol intake – this will help you to sleep better and stay on top of your feelings
✅ You can also consider light therapy and speaking to a therapist. It’s important to note that these tips are personal and won’t work for everyone. You need to find what works for you.
Remember that it’s a combination of little things that will help you. Tell someone about it – there’s no shame in the way you feel and speaking to someone about it will help.
Please don’t ignore it and hope it goes away. We’ve got a long winter ahead of us so getting it sorted now is the best approach. We’re here to support you if you need anything.