Five Tips to Combat Seasonal Affective Mood Disorder

Possible contributing factors could be a past medical history of depression. People with SAD may already naturally produce lower amounts of the neurotransmitter serotonin that helps balance your mood. Sunlight can influence serotonin levels and when there is less sun exposure, it may reduce the body’s ability to make enough serotonin. Also 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. Therefore, making sure you eat a healthy whole foods diet and avoid fried fatty foods and high carbs can benefit your mood.

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and is responsible for the circadian rhythm and sleep patterns. Melatonin production may increase with the longer nights, making it harder to get up in the morning.

Another contributing factor may be that since we spend less time outdoors in full skin exposure, you may not be getting enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is very common and can also be a cause for low energy, mood, anxiety and hormonal issues.     

Here are five things you can do to improve your mood in the winter months.

Try Light Therapy

Using 1000lux light therapy for 20-30 minutes per day in the morning will help produce those good waking chemicals and serotonin to help boost your mood. If you don’t own a light, spend 20-30 minutes in sunlight with as much skin exposed as possible in the cold winter months.

Test Your Vitamin D Level   

Vitamin D is best optimized at blood levels 60-100, so have your blood tested. Also, taking 2000-10000iu D3 daily may be beneficial.

Exercise in the Morning

Movement gets you going for the day and releases natural endorphins to help you feel better. Move more often and strive to do some form of activity, such as walking with intention, aerobics, weight training or yoga, five times a week.

Be Mindful of Your Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to reduce inflammation, balance hormones and help improve/extend your quality of life. Eating enough protein and drinking enough water are key. Most people are protein deficient Unless you have kidney disease and need to monitor the amounts you eat, target 100-120g of good quality proteins per day to improve energy, reduces stress and stabilize your blood sugar. Most people don’t drink enough water, and consumption can slow down over the colder months. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.

Practice Meditation, Affirmations, Journaling

Meditation has been shown to have an array of benefits and there are some great apps that offer guided meditations. Five to 15 minutes per day will help balance your mood, reduce stress and improve focus. Affirmations are also very powerful. Write out some positive affirmations that you say to yourself on a daily basis. It takes 21 days to create a new habit and change the neural pathways in your brain. Meanwhile, journaling can be powerful at helping you to decompress and get some clarity on life’s challenges. Stress reduction techniques can also release natural endorphins. Creating more opportunities for you to do some self-care, do the things you enjoy doing and practice self-reflection may help you navigate through these times.

If you feel that the depression and low mood does not improve or worsens, get help from a medical professional. Acupuncture and natural medicine, which offers an array of herbal treatments and supplements, may help boost your mood and treat any deficiencies. Cognitive behavioral therapy or counseling may also be appropriate. Know that you are not alone and there are many people who experience SAD. Fortunately, there are many treatment options available to help. FBN

By Christina Kovalik

Dr. Christina Kovalik NMD, LAc, The Vitality Doctor, is a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist specializing in hormone optimization, optimal health and vitality. She is a new Flagstaff resident, practicing since 2004, and opened her second location in Doney Park in 2020.    For more information, visit thevitalitydoctor.com or call 928-863-6086.