A Change in Weather & A Change in Mood

As find ourselves in the colder months in the Northeast, you may notice that your mood begins to fluctuate. The days are getting shorter and the temperature is getting lower, which can impact your daily mood. Do not stress, this is normal! Below you will find various tips on how to take care of yourself as the seasons change. 

• Find sources of light. There are less hours of light each day, so finding time to enjoy light is important. Light therapy has been used for years to compensate for the decrease in the sunshine that people experience during colder months. This treatment involves sitting in front of a light box for 30-45 minutes, which is even brighter than normal indoor light. If you are unable to attend or access light therapy, make it a point to sit by a window when doing work or find different ways that you can receive more natural light in your home or workspace. There are also lamps that you can purchase to keep in your home that mimic the techniques used in light therapy. Visit this link for more information.

• Engage in enjoyment. It's easy to put activities and hobbies that you enjoy doing on hold in the colder months. While the change in weather may make certain activities hard to participate in, try to find different ways that you can still engage in that activity or similar activity. A reduction in sunlight can contribute to a drop in serotonin, so it is important to continue doing things that make you happy to avoid your serotonin levels from dropping even further.

• Exercise. While it is always nice to get comfortable and stay in bed on a cold day, try to incorporate exercise into your routine. While the weather may prohibit you from exercising outside, look into different home workouts that you can do. Don’t put too much pressure on the duration and type of exercise you are doing, but any movement will help lift your mood, especially since the weather prohibits us from walking outside as often.