Journey to U4ia (euphoria) is BrownStyle Magazine’s new column written by Vanessa Simmons. In this candid and inspirational series, the mom and multi-hyphenate entertainer shares her journey to wellness and mindful living.
December is here and we are only days away from the new year! 2024 has been quite a journey. It was a year that flew by but also dragged on— #iykyk. And if you do know, now more than ever is the time to take a breath and soothe your nervous system.
As we prepare for the cold winter months, I thought it would be beneficial to talk about “Winter Blues” – a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that occurs when the days get shorter in the Fall and Winter.
People with “Winter Blues” may feel sad or want to stay home, withdraw from social situations, and lose interest in many areas of their lives. The holiday season can often aid in this, bringing on feelings of stress stemming from financial worries, fatigue from trying to keep up with unrealistic gifting expectations and missing loved ones who are no longer with us.
To continue the conversation, I tapped Psychotherapist and Life Coach Lakiah Edwin-Bankston to further discuss this topic and offer you a variety of mental health resources to help you heal, understand, and grow.
Keep reading to find out the difference between the “Winter Blues” and “SAD.” Plus, learn how to navigate both without additional stress.
WINTER BLUES
The term “winter blues” refers to a change in mood brought on by a particular event, such as a difficult holiday or a recent breakup. Usually minor, the symptoms disappear more quickly than SAD. Even though you’re feeling down, you can still look after people and yourself.
What can you do about it?
✨️ Move your body. Walking, dancing, jumping, and working out boosts endorphins (feel-good hormones) in your brain.
✨️ Enjoy the benefits of Vitamin X. Having orgasms works wonders! Other than pure pleasure, it has a lot of mental health and physical health benefits.
✨️ Track your mood. When you pay attention to how you feel energetically and emotionally, you can start to see patterns of what you do and don’t do that make you feel better or worse. This can help you stay more mindful of those things at the moment.
✨️ Reframe your thoughts. Change your thinking about the circumstance that is causing you to feel down. And remember, you don’t have to start being positive right away.
✨ Reach for gratitude first. Remind yourself of everything you have now (big and small), what you’re physically able to do right now, and the things you’ve achieved already.
✨️ List your good qualities. Remind yourself of how you got through tough situations before and use that now. This rewires your brain to more easily pay attention to the thoughts and actions that help you feel better. It takes practice, so it is recommended as a daily practice.
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD) is a depressive disorder that is diagnosed and treated by a mental health professional because the symptoms are more severe. It usually happens in a pattern when the seasons change.
How do you know if you’re experiencing SAD?
– Feelings of hopelessness
– Depression for most of the day
– Low energy
– Socially withdrawn and losing interest in things you usually find enjoyable
– Significant sugar cravings for two weeks or more
What can you do about it?
✨ ️ Make your mental health a priority. Remind yourself that it’s okay not to feel your best right now, but you’re worthy enough to take action to move through the feeling.
✨️ Book a session with a mental health therapist ASAP. Going to therapy is the best show of strength and it helps you avoid staying stuck in this feeling longer than you have to. (Here are some free therapist directories.)
✨️ Look into using light therapy and increasing your Vitamin D and Magnesium intake. The GABA supplement is also good for boosting your mood. (Always check with a doctor before taking a new supplement.)
How I Avoid Seasonal Stress With Self-Care
Below are a few things I do personally to help keep my stress down and my cortisol levels low on my Journey to U4ia.
✨️ Intentional Breathing
I start my day with deep breathing to energize my cells and body for the day ahead. If I’m getting a little overwhelmed, I invite peace into my day by trying a deep breathing exercise. There are many different techniques, it’s just about finding what works best for you. Mine is box breathing.
✨️ Cup Of Tea
A warm cup of tea always does the trick for me. I love looking for blends that evoke positive feelings or are soothing in some way. My favorite tea to boost my mood is Yogi Tea’s Sweet Tangerine Positive Mood. It works fast to usher in some sunshine during these cold winter days.
✨️ Stretching
I stretch to release trapped emotions. Some people may not realize how therapeutic stretching is. Even on days when I don’t go to the gym, I try to make it a priority to stretch. It’s a game-changer if committed daily, plus it burns calories (yes, every movement counts).
✨ Resources For You
Below are downloadable resources and meditations to help calm your mind and release negative thinking this holiday season.
The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Calm Mind– In this guide, Lakiah teaches how to track your moods, stop overthinking, and avoid being overwhelmed. It gives easy-to-follow templates to start seeing improvement. It includes three meditation audios and three video workshops.
Erase and Replace Guide– This guide helps beginners learn to let go of negative thoughts and replace them with better-feeling ones.
I am so thankful for the wisdom shared with us this month. I hope you learned something new, or this served as a reminder to show yourself some extra love this season. Also, check in with your friends and loved ones. They may need you.
