Seasonal Affective Disorder: Relief
S.A.D or
Seasonal Affective Disorder
One more gray day looms large, yes it’s that time of year and if you are one of the 5% of the people living in the northern hemisphere that experience from S.A.D or Seasonal Affective Disorder your life can be pretty depressing at the moment. The feelings usually start in the Autumn season and carry on throughout until Spring. It is recognized that up to half a million folks in the United States could be suffering from S.A.D however not everyone knows they have it as the symptoms are quite often mistaken for conditions like depression or insomnia amongst others.
Younger women seem to be worst affected however this may be because they are more likely to seek a doctors advice. Symptoms include a general feeling of being down, irritability, mood swings, poor sleep patterns and loss of appetite which swings towards binging and over indulgence.
So how can you help alleviate the condition?
There are aspects of your daily routine that you can change to offset the affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder that can really help you, such as:
- Getting outside as much as possible when the days are brighter as the more daylight you are subjected to the better you will feel.If you’re lucky you could get a full day when the sun shines, if that is the case make the most of it, go sit in it for a while.
- Try to make your working environment as bright possible, try moving your desk closer to the window, Take regular breaks, and if possible take your lunch break away from your office.
- If you work at home, try to build a routine which will allow you to get out of the house at least once a day.
- Using a light therapy lamp to simulate daylight. You can purchase them online and aren’t too expensive. Light Therapy Lamps have been proven to make a difference. Simply use it in the background for thirty minutes a day and you will feel so much better.
- If you are suffering from SAD, regular exercise has been known to help, if you are fit, you could try jogging or walking. If that is not your thing try yoga. You can also help your S.A.D symptoms with the power of exercise it will help keep your body healthy at the same time. It is a good idea to plan your week in advance as we are all guilty of putting things off, however if they have been scheduled you are more likely to see it through.
- Food cravings can also be a component of Seasonal Affective Disorder, usually people crave sweet things like chocolate, biscuits and cake, if this is the case try to satisfy your appetite by substituting the sweeter foods with other carbohydrates such as pasta, or you could eat more fruit and vegetables.
In the end it all comes down to being proactive with your Disorder and tying to meet it head on, There is no one cure but once you recognize that you have SAD then you can begin to treat it.
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Arnold Hexden writes on Seasonal Affective Disorder as well as other subjects, however S.A.D is an issue close to his heart and he has spent a lot of his time developing his ideas. You can read more about S.A.D at his his website over at http://www.lightthearapyboxes.net
