Rita Watson: Ways to chase away the winter blues
March 25, 2014
For a winter that does not want to leave, the reality of seasonal affective disorder, and the blues that many feel after Valentine’s Day, it may be time for a pair of rose-colored glasses.
A Twitter follower, author and Atlanta teacher Lisa Arends, summed up the sentiment, “Even my eighth graders are tired of snow days.” Indeed from children to adults, it is easy to feel cranky and out of sorts during a season in which we have shivered through too many cold and snowy days.
Rebecca Laptook, Ph.D., at the Hasbro Children’s Partial Hospital Program, has ideas to help children. And here also are the top five mood boosters for adults.
For young children through early teens, if you are stuck inside, Laptook said, “It is helpful to make a list of fun family activities to do such as board games, card games, Pictionary, and Charades, as well as baking or art projects. Activity helps improve moods so it can be good for children to get outdoors and play in the snow. While indoors put on music to dance, or play a family round on X-Box Kinect or Wii.
“And remember to keep some structure to each day,” she added. “Make certain to schedule time not only for family activities, but also for relaxation. And in addition to responsibilities such as homework and chores, this is also a good time for getting in touch with friends,” she said.
With adults, while we often read of the value of remaining positive, it is difficult to break the blues cycle when we start slipping into sadness. Here are top five mood boosters that might help.
Family and friends: The top mood booster is spending “time with family and friends,” says Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist and medical director for the StanfordCenter for Integrative Medicine, StanfordUniversity.
In an earlier interview with him he pointed out that being socially isolated “is of the same order of magnitude as the risk that accompanies smoking or having high cholesterol levels.”
Even if you are not in the mood to socialize – and few people are when they are feeling low – at least call a friend.
Exercise: The best-kept secret to chasing away the blues is exercise. Published research studies often report that exercise will help lighten your mood. How much exercise is enough? Start small, at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes, and you’ll feel better. Walking 30 minutes a day is good for your mood and memory.
Back away from anger: Sometimes when you are blue you find that everything bothers you. You have a short fuse. Watch it. “Anger Kills,” is the title of a recent books by Dr. Redford Williams, chief of the division of behavioral medicine, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at DukeUniversity.
He said to me earlier: “When you find yourself in a situation that triggers hostility and anger, ask yourself whether the situation is important enough to be worth your continued attention, whether your reaction is appropriate to the situation, and whether you can change the situation.
“Most times, the answer to all three will be ‘No. So find alternative responses, and back off,” he added.
A happy face: Smile, even if you do not feel like smiling until suddenly you start to laugh. Put a broad smile on your face and take a walk. You’ll be amazed at how many people smile back at you. And eventually you will find yourself laughing.
Laughter increases the number and activity of cells that help us fight disease and decreases stress-related hormones. Laughter is contagious, according to longtime studies by Robert Provine, Ph.D., University of Maryland. Through his research he has shown that when you hear other people laugh, you tend to laugh as well, pointing out that laughter does something special to our brains to trigger the laugh sounds within us.
Try gratitude: When the blues linger, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, would remind you that gratitude is the answer.
He tells me that “Gratitude is an attitude, not a feeling that can be easily willed. Even if you are not satisfied with your life as it is today, if you go through grateful motions the emotion of gratitude should be triggered. It is like improving your posture and as a result becoming more energetic and self-confident.”
Emmons added: “Attitude change often follows behavior change. By living the gratitude that we do not necessarily feel, we can begin to feel that gratitude that we live.”
Smiling, saying “thank you,” sending thank-you notes, and making gratitude visits are attitude boosters.
Choose a mood booster that suits you, because, according to Punxsutawney Phil, we have a long winter ahead. It is time to take it upon ourselves to chase the blues away until we can take those long happy walks in the warm sunshine.
Rita Watson, MPH, is a columnist for the Journal’s Thrive section.