How to Avoid the Winter Blues
It’s safe to say that summer is officially over (*sigh*) and while that chapter comes to a close, the turn of seasons can also mean a shift in emotional well-being for many of us. The darkness has begun creeping in earlier and earlier each day, we’re spending less time outside, fewer people are out and about and then comes the feeling of isolation.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects over 15 million adults, almost 7% of the population and most commonly begins after 13 years old. Someone with SAD often demonstrates changes in their personality. Symptoms can include feeling disappointed, isolated or lonely and often times they can’t identify what is the root cause.
So, why discuss this here? These adults and children are our employers, our nannies, and/or our NK’s (nanny kids). In a place like Chicago, someone with SAD can feel an underlying tone of stress and fear leading up to the fall/winter months and throughout—most likely from September through March—and that’s half the year! While SAD is a difficult force to fight, there are many ways to prepare for SAD now so that it is not so draining.
Create a happy morning routine
Tackle the early darkness by pairing your daily schedule with the sunrise. Shift your routine with the gradual time change so that you’re in bed earlier and start your day earlier. Think about it this way — give your day less dark and more light.
What about meditation? (If meditation is something you haven’t tried before, I know what you’re thinking… “blah.”) Give it a try. The beautiful thing about meditation is that just 5 or 10 minutes can do you a world of great. It can help boost your mood, silence the stressors and broaden your perspective for the day.
Cry it out
The truth is, crying can be therapeutic. Unleash those tears, and assure children around you that “it’s okay to cry”. A great practice is once you’ve dried your tears, occupy yourself and get busy. Consider an activity that takes you away from the overwhelming feelings and towards a happier place, even for a few moments. Cry, hug, and move onto something else. It can really help get out of the slump that feels like never-ending blues.
Find a nighttime hobby
This one may feel easier said than done. When someone struggles with SAD, nighttime can exacerbate feelings of worry and loneliness. While it’s tempting to lean on others to pick you up when you’re down, the evening can be a time where you do something special for yourself.
Take a bubble bath with candles, a book, and a glass of wine. Try a new, intricate recipe and take time to enjoy the process. Watch a happy show or documentary with a cozy blanket and hot tea. Crack open a 1000-piece puzzle and turn on soothing music.
Start a workout regimen
When it gets chillier, it’s easy to become more sedentary, especially with opportunities to move outdoors. There are so many apps and exercise videos to try on YouTube. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet during the pandemic to get into an at-home workout routine, now’s the time to start!
With little kids, try making an indoor scavenger hunt or an obstacle course with anything on-hand (mini trampolines, couch cushions, blankets, rope/ribbon as a balance beam, hoops to hop into).
Extra snuggles
The warmth of another has been scientifically proven to make you a happier person. A study in 2018 in Journal of Experimental Psychology found that touching somebody you love helps regulate stress, soothe emotions, and even boosts your cognitive performance. This of course improves the moods of babies, toddlers, children and adults. Gather up your NK’s, stuffed animals, fuzzy blankets, and snuggle up!
Make a cold-weather bucket list
Making a list of places to go, things to see, shows to watch, can give you something to look forward to and gets you out of the cycles of rumination and isolation that often accompany SAD.
A gingerbread recipe. Plan a weekend trip. Engage in giving back to society by volunteering. Try local events such as Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up, activities at the Morton Arboretum, The “Night of 1,000 Jack-O-Lanterns” at the Chicago Botanic Garden, BOO! at the Zoo (Brookfield Zoo), craft brews at Lincoln Park Zoo, harvest wine and cheese festa at Eataly, and more!
Make a list of Netflix shows. Scrapbooking or collage-making. For kids and adults, making vision boards can be a fun way to search through stacks of magazines and cut out your favorite images. Try making a new hot beverage, such as homemade hot cocoa (don’t forget the marshmallows!), pumpkin spice lattes, golden milk, mulled wine, chai tea and more.
We hope these ideas and techniques can help parents, caregivers, teenagers and children get through the colder parts of the year. Check out Nanny Harmony’s instagram page for more events and ideas!
