For most people in the United States and Canada, for the last couple of months and probably for a couple more, it's been cold, gloomy with quite a bit of snow. You haven't seen the sun for days and you would give anything to just get a few minutes of it! I know that's where I'm at right about now. Seasonal affective disorder aka the winter blues is real and it affects a lot of people.
Although it may seem impossible to beat, it can be done! I know what really helps me is, even when I don't feel like going to the gym, I force myself to, at least five days a week. Another great thing that I know personally works is a tanning bed, in moderation, a couple of times a week. Here is a great website that has other solutions for curing the winter blues. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/30/10-winter-depression-busters-for-seasonal-affective-disorder/
I personally feel the most effective solution is the tanning bed. Do you ever wonder why you don't have this depression in the winter? Hence the reason it's called the winter blues!! Tanning beds were made to mimic the sun and it does just that. The great thing is that it's in a much more controlled environment and you spend less time in it than you would the sun. After ten minutes, you feel rejuvenated. I can bet anyone can go to a tanning salon a couple times a week for the amount of time a professional working at a salon feels the most appropriate time would be for your skin type and after a few weeks, I'm very confident anyone would feel at least a bit better. One of the main issues is that more than 90-95% of US citizens and Canadians are vitamin D deficient and that definitely contributes to ones depression. Vitamin D is on almost every cell of the body so, it's vital to survival.
I know I'm no professional and have no right to diagnose anyone, I know there are great resources that you can look at when searching for answers. I know most doctors and websites may steer you toward taking some sort of medication but, from personal experiences, make that a last resort! For years and years people have been using natural cures for many different issues, including seasonal affective disorder. Here are a few that I've checked out...
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=341
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/seasonal_depression_sad/article_em.htm
To many I may be jumping the gun for some but, I wonder if dermatologists and sunscreen companies didn't give such a bad name to tanning salons and the sun, would SAD be such an issue? Definitely something to think about.
What do you do to beat the winter blues?!
