Ideas to beat low moods caused by gloomy weather
I have lived in New York City for close to 25 years now. But till today, I struggle with the erratic, short days, and cold weather in the months of January and February. For a lot of people, the holiday pounds start to show up in January and the pressure to alter appearances and diets become an obsession. January is my birthday month, so the month-long celebrations work as a good distraction from the cold.
Navigating Winter Blues
February is brutal for me. The temperature varies so much in February that you don’t know how to dress up. We wait with bated breath for spring. Most of us know the Groundhog Day tradition: on February 2, our old friend the groundhog will emerge from hibernation. If he comes out of his den and sees its shadow and then retreats to its burrow, winter goes on for six more weeks. But if it doesn’t see its shadow, spring will arrive early.
Dark mornings, darker evenings, and unpredictable temperatures make us leave our mental health in the hands of a groundhog?! Winters in the northern hemisphere (especially January and February) can take a toll on our emotional wellbeing. For someone like me, who typically wakes up at 4:30am, the sun doesn’t rise until 7-7:30am these two months. The morning quiet and prolonged darkness can feel very isolating if I don’t have a plan in place. For those people who thrive in the evenings, harsh winter conditions and inability to lead your usual life can become lonely very quickly.
What Not To Do In Winter
While some people will recommend getting your Netflix queue, winter booze, and hot cocoa stock up to date to navigate the winter blues, I would advise against them. Too much screen time increases vata dosha, according to Ayurveda. This could show up as sleeplessness, anxiety, constipation, inability to shut the mind and much more. Excessive hot cocoa can irritate pitta dosha and can lead to weight gain in someone battling weight gain issues post-holidays.
Alcohol, depending on your Ayurvedic dosha, will impact you differently. The tiksna (penetrating into the tissue) and usna (heat producing) qualities can aggravate pitta dosha. Think aggravation, irritation, sharp-tongue, diarrhea, heartburn etc. The drying or ruksna quality will aggravate vata dosha because like increases like, and one of vata’s qualities is drying. I have seen my kapha clients get emotional and exhibit extreme attachments as a reaction to alcohol.
Here is what you can do instead.
Honor the Ayurvedic Clock
The definite way of making winter blues blow out of proportion is not having a routine or schedule in place. It’s tempting to sleep in on dark mornings or work from the couch without a shower when it’s raining outside. Ordering in take-out instead of cooking something nourishing at home when snow flurries hit your window might seem enticing. The chances of anyone wanting to go for a run or a hike or take a yoga class when it’s dark and frigid outside, you know what I am going to say here!
But if you have a plan in place and schedule to adhere to, you rely on habits instead of motivation. You do what you need to do without allowing your mind to play tricks. You know you are going to feel good after that yoga class or long run or a homecooked meal. Eating on time, moving your body daily, doing meditation, and practicing sleep hygiene can do wonders for your mental, emotional, and physical health. What are the best times for each activity? Check out my SEEMA column where I write about how you can use your circadian rhythm to improve your wellbeing.
Try Light Therapy
My husband loves the cold. The lower the temperature, the happier he is. That said, there was a time my husband had to travel to upstate New York (daily) to a client site for months in a row. It was dark when he left for work and dark when he got home. So, how was he going to get his daily dose of natural sunshine? We might intend to get some sun in our face during lunch hour. But our workdays are dependent on our meetings.
So, we researched light therapy and invested in a SAD lamp, also called a light box. This is a device that’s designed to mimic sunlight and is marketed for its mood-boosting abilities. I don’t know about my husband, but I love having this device at home. At 4:30am, I am thrilled to have a well-lit living room for my morning practices. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), exposure to bright light in the morning helps send signals to the brain at the right time of day. This can help you feel more awake and alert in the morning and through your waking hours.
Be Mindfully Social
Even though you might be tempted to stay on the couch and become sedentary, movement is key to releasing happy hormones. We are in kapha season, so it’s okay to slow down and hibernate (animals do that!). But do everything in balance. As a new transplant to NYC, I would not want to get out of the house when it got cold and wet and messy. But I realized that not seeing my friends and family made me feel both sad and agitated.
We are social animals, and I am an extrovert who enjoys other people’s company. So, I bought dependable winter gear. No matter the weather (unless the city is buried under a storm), I will make social plans and stick to them. I also make time to slow down and nourish. Invest in high quality boots, outerwear, and remind yourself that you can’t allow the weather to dictate your life.
I often joke with my friends that I am solar-powered. Some people enjoy walking during a full moon, but I love being out on a sunny day. I feel the sun recharges every cell in my body. During summer, we produce more serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that supports happiness and a stable mood. Dr. John Douillard writes, “During the winter months, with the intensity of the sun too weak to trigger the amount of serotonin required for mood support, many experience bouts of sadness due to low serotonin levels.”
I feel January and February cramp my usual style of being. Making these changes helps me gracefully accept the harshness of these two months. But if you’re feeling blue this winter, and if the feelings last for several weeks, talk to a health care provider or mental health professional. Between 4% and 6% of people in the United States suffer from SAD or seasonal affective disorder. You aren’t alone.
“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional. If you are looking for advice from a trained yogi and ayurvedic doctor, contact the author here.
