Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is also known as winter depression because the symptoms begin around now, as the days get shorter, and are felt most during December, January, and February. SAD can be hard-hitting and affect our physical, mental, and emotional health and overall well-being.
To prepare ourselves for this, we need a plan of action that builds resilience and protects us from the worst of SAD. Based on experience, a plan needs structure and clearly defined goals. Based on experience, this is most effective when grounded in three themes, all focused on feeding and nourishing 1) the body, 2) the mind, and 3) the soul. Here’s my example, which can be used or adapted to create your own personalised autumn/winter wellness plan.
A Three-pronged Action Plan: body, mind & soul focus
Body – preparing for physical wellness
- The first action involves physical activity and can be simple regular walks in the park. Enjoy the golden leaves falling at the feet, blustery wind in the hair, warm paper cut in hand filled with hot chocolate, changing landscapes, and the harvested chestnuts collected from the grounds.
- Alternatively, go for something in a warmer climate like Yogafit Retreats, which offers friendly, inclusive, holistic yoga and fitness classes, plus nutrition and life coaching workshops. They cater to different dietary needs, including pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, coeliac, dairy-free, and allergies. While retreats in Greece are in Spring, October retreats are hosted in sunny Ibiza – perfect for immunity and resilience building in preparation for winter just as the weather begins to turn in the UK. You can book a retreat for seven days or 3 nights/4 days.
- The second action is to introduce immunity-boosting foods and drinks to our diet. Ginger, turmeric, garlic, and honey are great for our immune system.
- Ginger is rich in bioactive compounds like gingerol, which possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects to support immunity. A soothing cup of fresh ginger tea can provide comfort and relief when you’re under the weather, and soups, juices, or smoothies are perfect with grated ginger.
- Turmeric offers many health benefits, including robust support for the immune system. It enhances the immune system’s ability to recognise and target foreign invaders, bolstering overall immunity, neutralising harmful free radicals, and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. You can add turmeric to curries, soups, and smoothies.
- Garlic is a natural remedy containing compounds that enhance immune function to help the body fight off infections. Garlic has antioxidant properties that help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which can weaken the immune system. There are many ways to use garlic in cooking, including adding them to pasta sauces, soups, salad dressings, and marinades. You can also roast whole garlic bulbs in the oven until they become soft, caramelised, and sweeter in flavour for spreading on bread or added to salads.
- Raw honey is unprocessed and not heated or pasteurised, so it preserves more of its natural enzymes and nutrients. Raw honey is an effective remedy for alleviating and reducing the frequency and severity of sore throats and coughs. Manuka honey, originating from New Zealand, is a top choice for raw honey because of its unique antibacterial properties. Enjoy it by the spoonful, in tea or smoothies, or use it in salad dressings and marinades.
Mind – boosting mental health and resilience
- It may sound over-the-top, but starting to organise Christmas in October is a great way to plan for autumn/winter wellness! Start spreading the mental load and saving the pennies to make the coming weeks and next 2-months easier. If you start saving in October, you can avoid the stress and worries of having to fork out a big lump sum in one go in December. It will also help you get mentally organised and prepared for when you do need to start buying gifts. To avoid last-minute panic buying, look out for savings and deals from October and take advantage of Black Friday at the end of November.
- Another tip for achieving mental wellness in autumn and winter is to plan holidays. The fun and exciting stuff that can be arranged and reserved in advance gives you and your loved ones things to look forward to. I would think long-term, starting with a weekend break around Halloween to a destination like Longleat Park for the Festival of Lights. Over Christmas and New Year, you could enjoy festivities in a hotel or book the family into a holiday/forest lodge cabin. Equally, you could visit a pretty town like York and stay at a holiday house, hotel, or Bed & Breakfast to see in the New Year.
- At work, I advocate planning and booking annual leave for the calendar year. I recommend booking a few days off every month for 12 months, ensuring there is time to rest regularly throughout the year. I also suggest topping and tailing national holidays to extend time off and maximise bank holidays! If possible, book one big holiday for the coming year, get it into everyone’s diary, and sit back to look forward to the year ahead, peppered with long weekends, mini breaks, and exciting holidays throughout!
Soul – feed the soul to strengthen emotional well-being
- Last but not least, feeding the soul will strengthen emotional well-being, helping to tackle SAD during the winter. Of course, we must feed the mind good wisdom and the body good nutrition. But feeding the soul good vibes and the heart good love will elevate the situation, providing holistic wellness for the months and year ahead. Feeding the soul is about self-love, self-care, and doing things we love and make us happy. It could be indulging in music, playing an instrument, singing, reading, writing, painting/drawing, cooking, hiking, discovering beautiful national or royal parks, swimming, hosting gatherings, playing golf or wallowing in a spa, getting pampered with treatments.
- Doing things that we love and make us happy also equates to spending time with good people. There’s a saying that we know the people who feed our souls because we feel good after spending time with them. On this basis, select and proactively connect with people you enjoy the company of and spending time with because this will naturally enrich your soul and better equip you for colder, darker days.
- On the other side of the coin, we can feed the soul by nourishing the souls of others with love, kindness, and compassion. There are many different ways to do this – and personal favourites of mine are organising and hosting gatherings for friends, visiting family that lives far away, especially my Mum and my Son’s Grandmother, and volunteering at food banks and schools to wrap Christmas presents.
A plan for Autumn/Winter wellness
SAD, AKA winter depression, can affect many of us between December and February.
It can take us by surprise and hit hard.
But by becoming aware of the symptoms, talking about it, and taking preventative measures and coping mechanisms, we better prepare ourselves to build resilience to defend against it.
An action plan built on feeding and nourishing 1) the body, 2) the mind, and 3) the soul can improve our physical, mental, and emotional health to tackle SAD.
To share experiences and further tips, please comment below or message me.