All Blog Postings by Mary
Winter Blues-SAD
Archive notice: This is a historical post from Mary’s years of blogging. Some older posts may mention products, courses or shop items that are no longer available, as Mary now focuses her time and energy on supporting widows inside her private Facebook community. The guidance and stories remain here as a free resource for widows.
For current ways to connect with Mary’s work, you can:
- Read her book on Amazon .
- Request to join her private Facebook group for widows .
Having the winter blues is hard enough without being a grieving widow. We widows rely on the sun’s bright rays to help keep our spirits up. That’s why when Fall and Winter arrive, with their short days and long nights, our grief can take a downward turn.
If you notice feeling even more depressed, plus eating and sleeping a lot during the day, your grief may be turning into a type of depression called “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (SAD).
The National Mental Health Association says that mild depression maybe helped by an hour long walk in sunlight or two and a half hours under a bright artificial light. Some widows have found that daily light therapy can be as safe and effective as antidepressants. It also helps to eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and high quality proteins, such as fish.
Breathing exercises cost nothing, but do so much more than just relaxing your stress levels. They are linked to both heart health and longevity. Simply set aside 15 minutes to sit quietly with your eyes closed, your belly should expand with each inhalation and contract with each exhalation. Now for 15 minutes try breathing by inhaling for four counts and exhaling for eight.
Daily meditation can reduce anxiety so you are able to live in the moment and enjoy your family and friends. To get started, check out mindfulness apps, like “Headspace” or “Calm” for guided meditation options. If sitting still isn’t for you, try dance meditation for a more active way to decompress.
When you’re feeling tense and on edge, try gently rocking on a swing, hammock or rocking chair. Finnish research suggests that rocking will help you feel 65% calmer and happier in just five minutes. Rocking puts your entire nervous system into a relaxed meditative state, plus it calms the anxiety center in your brain.
In a study in the journal, Health Psychology, researchers had volunteers take a survey on their Life Purpose. Those who had a strong sense of life purpose were more open to making healthy changes. That’s because they don’t relate to conflict and uncertainty like those that have no purpose in life.
As the days get shorter it also helps to spend some time every day to write about your emotions without judgment. It always helps to boost your confidence by silencing your inner critic.
Doing these things will help slow down the winter blues so that your energy level will not get depleted. They give you all these benefits at little or no cost, so why not try them out.