Seasonal Depression or Hibernation?

By: Jillian Foley, RD, LDN Nutritionista

Once the holidays are over and the excitement of new beginnings in January start to fade, we are reminded that winter is cold and dark, leaving us depressed and unmotivated. You start reminding myself "oh yeah, that's right, I have seasonal depression". Whether that's a clinical or self diagnosis, I want to share my tips on making your mood feel a little bit better.

First, remind yourself that just as animals hibernate during the winter months, so do we. Or atleast we would if we didn't have jobs, kids, and a house to clean. Depression sounds so dark and permanent. Hybernation just seems like a term to describe how animals function to survive. Yes, I may be picking-apart the way you talk to yourself, but how you talk to yourself and how you view things does set the tone for your mood and actions. Just remind yourself that this is temporary and it would only make sense that you would want to curl up in a ball when it's dark and cold.

Aside from being cold and tired, another reason you are probably feeling depressed is because you are stuck in the house more. One thing I learned about my patients (and myself) during covid is; if you're stuck in you're house, you're stuck in your head. Most people don't know what to do with their repetitive thoughts, so they do other things to occupy themselves. During the winter though, we find ourselves inside more. This leaves us with more time to overthink. Until the cold breaks, try finding different things to do like: walking at a mall, going to a movie, visiting a friend you haven't seen in a while or going to the library. It doesn't have to be a grand idea, just something different to do to shake up your reality. You may discover you've just been bored.

*If you see a dramatic difference between your mental attitude when you try these things vs being at home you should also ask yourself what thoughts your are fighting. While boredom can leave us too much time to overthink, it's not healthy to have to ALWAYS occupy yourself. Learn to sit with your thought by journaling, meditating or going to talk therapy.

So what can we do health-wise to make ourselves feel a little better? The answers are probably obvious, but let me start with the foundation. Don't let go of who you are and what you've been working towards. I know it's hard to be productive when you don't feel great, but you have a responsibility to continue with the actions that take care of your body.

Exercise: We all know it releases endorphins, and makes us feel accomplished. Ask yourself what your minimum is, your "no matter what". Sure you may not workout as often because of the cold and snow, but don't drop down to sporadic or not at all. If you struggle with consistence regardless of your goals, sign up for classes, use a personal trainer, or tag-along with a friend that's been going consistently!

Food: While your appetite may be stronger and your goals may be weak, don't forget

eating well most of the time is what we should do most of the time. We often think of

food in a shallow way... "I was in the mood for..." " I don't feel like eating_____....".

Reminding yourself, that regardless of mood, sometimes you should be eating

something because it's good for you and your body requires it. Have you been getting fruits or veggies the same way you would during the spring? How can you increase that? Make a big batch of soup with a lot of veggies or oatmeal with apples or raisins?

What about protein? Have you thought about it or are you mostly grazing on snacks when you're bored? Could you hard boil some eggs so it's easy to grab?

Observe what foods have been decreasing and find easy ways to include it again.

Hydration: Typically during the winter months, this starts to slip too. We don't want cold water when we are cold! We forget that we are about 60% water, and when that slips, so do we; we feel foggier, and hungrier. Find ways to hydrate more by drinking herbal tea or logging how much you had during the day ( using noon as a half way point) to stay accountable.

I know the winter months are tough and seem to last foreverrrrrrrrr BUT they don't! We've been here before and we'll be here again. And I believed we have an obligation to our physical and mental health to check-in with ourselves and see if our mood has created our actions or our actions have created our mood. While it may be more of a challenge to get yourself to do things, remind yourself that when you act (mentally or physically) a certain way, your brain follows suit. What can you do or adjust to make yourself feel at least 10% better for the rest of this winter?

Jillian Foley, RD Nutrititionista is a Registered Dietitian that specializes in Food Therapy. She believes that weight-loss & disease prevention/management is 20% food education & 80% psychological. She owns her own practice for 1-on-1 sessions as well as courses. You can find more info @www.Nutritionista267.com Follower her on IG @Nutritionista_1