Autumn winter blues. How to overcome the winter blues. Frost and cold

The climate characteristic of our country is the best soil for the growth of symptoms of winter blues. Statisticians say that office workers are most susceptible to winter blues and depression, the treatment of which takes a long time and is not always successful. And in the first place are IT specialists.

Symptoms of depression (winter blues)

There is no need to panic if your vital activity decreases or you are constantly in a bad mood. Take this as one of the signs of winter. Nature also sleeps. You are not going crazy, it’s just that as a result of a decrease in the amount and activity of sunlight, your body has changed, melatonin production has decreased and your circadian rhythms have become disrupted. And this is the impetus for the development of winter blues.

Main symptoms of seasonal depression:

bad mood, which is not the cause of negativity or problems,

lack of joy from what used to cause it,

constant fatigue and weakness.

All these signs should prompt you to change something, and first of all, in yourself.

Change Attitude

When treating depression (winter blues), the guide to action should be the centuries-tested truth: “If you cannot change the situation, then you need to change your attitude towards it.” We act step by step; psychologists do not recommend rushing in such cases:

Step 1 – admit that there is a problem;

Step 2 is to understand that this is not forever.

Set yourself a clearly defined goal or set a specific date for yourself. For some, the exact change in life may be a vacation, possible time off, receiving a bonus, or starting a new project. In addition, a series of new holidays in March is just around the corner. And if nothing pleases you at all, then repeat New Year, according to the Chinese calendar.

If you sit with your hands folded, then...

Under no circumstances should you begin to feel sorry for yourself and plunge headlong into your “suffering.” The consequences will be disastrous - a vegetative crisis (panic attacks) will begin. In severe cases, it can result in seizures and a sharp increase in blood pressure. Its first signs are:

panic attacks or obsessive, persistent fears,

increased heart rate,

pulsating blood in the head.

Those at increased risk are those who are not used to showing their feelings, hiding emotions and worrying in silence. By the way, blood vessels also suffer from this behavior. As a result, urgent help may be needed medical worker. To prevent such severe consequences winter blues, you need to take emergency measures:

if you feel that you are on the verge of a breakdown, then start taking sedatives, walk in the fresh air more often,

don’t hold back your emotions, if you want to cry - cry, scream - scream, swear - swear.

Expressing emotions reduces adrenaline levels in the blood and helps cope with symptoms of depression.

Who will help?

Not everyone can cope with the winter blues or seasonal depression on their own. Doctors recommend contacting a psychologist or psychotherapist at the first manifestation of symptoms. Unfortunately, in Russia, turning to these specialists is still perceived as something extraordinary and is considered a manifestation of human inadequacy. If you realize that your loved ones will not understand and will not support you in this decision, then you don’t have to advertise it.

When turning to a psychologist, you must realize that he is not a magician and there will be no immediate relief. Prepare yourself for a long conversation with the doctor. His job is not to say a magic spell that will get rid of your suffering. The work of a psychologist is aimed at ensuring that the patient independently finds a solution to his problem, and the doctor will push him to this, gently turning his thoughts in the right direction.

Personal assistants

If you decide to fight seasonal depression and blues on your own, then check out the “personal assistants”:

Debriefing– write it down to clean slate all the good and all the bad in your life. The list of advantages will definitely be longer. Tear off the half of the sheet where the disadvantages are listed and burn (tear into small pieces and throw in the trash).

Sleep, sleep and sleep again! Only a good dream makes a person an optimist.

In the morning - shower. Avoid contrasting water procedures - they not only invigorate, but also irritate a person on the verge of depression. Warm streams of water will invigorate no less, but will also give peace and tranquility.

Fresh air– your best friend in the fight against winter blues. Arrange a “promenade” in any weather. And on sunny days, sitting at home is simply a crime!

Movement is mandatory. Sign up for a fitness club, a swimming pool, and if you don’t have the opportunity or time, then just do morning exercises.

More correct light. Both at home and at work, lighting should be as bright as possible in winter. Preference should be given to fluorescent lamps.

Pleasant communication. Don’t sit cooped up - go to visit, to entertainment events, to cafes.

Without "wheels"

Never prescribe antidepressants to yourself. They can be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor and after his prescription. You can cope with minor deviations and bad mood with the help of walks, water treatments, and light sedatives based on herbs.

Learn to live positively, cheer yourself up on your own, see only the good in life and in everything that surrounds you. Winter blues and seasonal depression will not overcome and break optimists.

More light. Bad mood and depressive mood very often occur in a person due to lack of sunlight. Due to lack of sun, the body does not receive the necessary nutrients, and hormones cease to be produced properly. It is during the dark season that melatonin, a substance that affects sleep-wake cycles, is especially elevated in the body. This is where drowsiness, apathy, loss of strength, and a sad state without motivation arise. Therefore, you need to try to bring more light into your life. If it’s a nice day outside, you should definitely go for a walk. It is worth placing more light sources in the house: lamps, sconces, garlands, and so on. And if you light scented candles in the evenings, you can also further relax and get rid of bad thoughts.

More light colors. When darkness reigns outside, when every day looks gray and dull, you should try to add more colors and light, clean tones to your life. In addition, light colors in the interior or clothing will be perceived by the brain as something luminous, which will also only be a plus in the fight against the blues. You can turn to color therapy, deliberately study the meanings of colors, so that you know which shades to add to your life first.

Physical activity. Lack of activity during the day at any time of the year has a negative impact on a person’s mood and well-being. Despite the frost, snow and bad weather, you should try to get outside regularly, even on a lazy day. If you can’t do fitness or train in the gym, you need to devote time to home workouts. Yoga and dancing will also have a positive effect on your well-being and mood, and will help solve the problem of how to deal with the winter blues. Even a simple general cleaning of the house can lift your spirits. In addition, there will be a reason to praise yourself, which will have an additional positive impact on your overall mood.

Changing your diet. In winter, you justifiably want some unhealthy and satisfying dishes to warm you up and fill you up. However, we must not forget about proper nutrition. During the cold season, the human body is in dire need of nutrients and vitamins. However, you can add to your menu and various sweets, if your health condition allows. Sweet foods lift your mood and stimulate the production of the happiness hormone.

Have a nice time. We must try to find time for our favorite things. Creativity, reading books, computer games– you need to take on everything that brings pleasure. However, when choosing between a hobby and sleep/rest, it is recommended to give preference to the latter. It is not recommended to overload the body in winter. This will not help get rid of the blues, but it will be able to undermine the immune system. And then it will be easy to catch a cold or flu, which will not have a positive effect on your mood.

More communication. Meeting interesting and pleasant people, going with friends to the cinema or to exhibitions, shopping - these are simple and affordable ways to get rid of the winter blues. During communication, it is easy to be distracted from negative thoughts, someone else's energy and someone else's positive attitude They tone you up, lift your spirits, and charge you with new ideas and strength. And if you can hug when meeting with friends and comrades, this will lift your mood even more. Hugs are a very important thing for any person, even if the person does not realize it.

Changes. Not all people are ready for any drastic and serious changes, but in the fight against the winter blues it is not at all necessary to urgently change jobs or move to live in another country. Even a banal rearrangement in the room can have a positive effect on your mood, change your outlook on the world around us, making it more positive. Changes may concern the usual daily routine, diet, and so on.

It is important to follow the regime. You shouldn’t give in to your body’s provocation to sleep an extra hour in the morning, and then take a nap several times during the day. This is fraught with disruption in sleep and wakefulness, which can worsen both mood and well-being. Increased sleepiness, as already mentioned, occurs due to an excess of melatonin. However, we need to find ways to cheer ourselves up. Ultimately, excessive sleep leads to a sharp drop in blood sugar and swelling of the brain. Why risk your health like that?

Time for yourself. On particularly stormy winter days, you can take some time for yourself. Organize not only the shelves in your room, but also your thoughts. In the fight against winter apathy and blues, it is very useful for women to engage in beauty treatments, go shopping, and so on.

Music therapy. If you listen to exclusively sad music all the time, succumbing to the provocation of the blues, then you may not get out of the swamp of sadness until late spring. It is worth paying attention to positive and energizing tracks, creating a special playlist for yourself that will help solve the problem of how to cope with the winter blues.

Pleasant smells. Aromatherapy helps fight various conditions and can easily banish the winter blues. You just need to choose the right scents. The following scents will have the most inspiring effect: cinnamon, chocolate, orange, sandalwood, lilac, pine aromas.

To one degree or another, up to a third of residents of northern countries are susceptible to seasonal mood decline—women are almost four times more likely than men. The reason for this, according to scientists, is a failure of circadian rhythms - cyclical fluctuations in the intensity and speed of biological processes in human body, different day and night. When day and night are equally dark, the body ceases to understand when it is time to go to bed and when it is time to work. Failure of the biological clock leads to disruption of the functions of neurotransmitters - serotonin and dopamine. A person feels the lack of these hormones as a general loss of joy from life. Nothing is interesting anymore, any action requires ten times more effort.

How do they fight winter depression in countries where the sun appears in winter as rarely as in the northern part of Russia?

Finland

One of the most effective ways for Finns to combat the seasonal blues is none other than a sauna. It is found in all Finnish houses, including apartment buildings, and is usually located in the basement. Residents can book it through a special website, and in addition, there are “common days” when neighbors can warm up together. The sauna is hot, light, smells of wood - almost summer. Saunas are also popular in other northern countries - Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Russia, and in recent decades they have become popular in Canada and the northern states of the USA, but no other country can compare with their number in Finland. For every two residents of the country, including permanently resident foreigners, there is a sauna. In the center of Helsinki, enthusiasts have opened a free public sauna, Sompasauna, which is open year-round and 24 hours a day.

Finnish sauna

In addition, all Finns, starting with babies, take vitamin D year-round, and if someone complains of fatigue in winter, the first thing they will ask is whether they have tried increasing their dosage. And of course, they are actively involved in winter sports. On weekends, all playgrounds, parks and forests are filled with people with walking poles, skiers and other sports audiences. Finns are greatly helped in their sports activities by excellent warm clothing, which is available here even to the homeless, due to the fact that throughout the country there are points of free distribution of not new, but good-quality items.

Denmark and Norway

Nowadays it is difficult to find a person who has not heard anything about hygge - the Danish “coziness system”. This is a way not to fight winter, but to accept and love it: sit by the fireplace with a checkered blanket, by candlelight, read a book, cook a delicious-smelling pie, hang pictures in warm colors on the walls. Written by Mike Viking, head of the Danish Institute for Happiness Research, the book on hygge has become a global bestseller. The author sums up the essence of hygge this way:

“It’s about trying to make every day happy.”

Not to fight winter, but to love it - this is roughly the same way that Norwegians experience winter. Scientists suggest that this nation as a whole is genetically adapted to endure long winters - for centuries, those who could not endure northern November and February tried to move south. Therefore, the percentage of people suffering from seasonal disorder here is no higher than in other countries, although frosts begin in September and end closer to May.

Norway

luchschen / istockphoto.com

And yet, for some local residents, winters in cities such as, say, Tromso can be a serious challenge. Not long ago, in an attempt to get more sunlight, three mirrors were installed in Tromso - each measuring 17 square meters. The mirrors are located on the hills and let sunbeams into the central square of the city. In addition, Norwegians have their own version of hygge: here the feeling of “coziness” is called kos or koselig.

Tromso, Norway

vichie81/istockphoto.com

Sweden

It is estimated that seasonal low mood in Sweden affects around 19% of the population. In 2015, one of the schools in Malmo decided to try to cheer up students with the help of bright light - one of the classrooms was equipped with lamps with a “sunlight” effect from BrainLit. After two weeks, the researchers recorded improved sleep quality and increased alertness among students in the “lit” classroom compared to other students.

Unlike the mirrors in Tromso, Norway, here we are talking about artificial and much more intense lighting than the reflected rays of the polar sun. Light therapy has been used in Sweden since the early 90s, with several “light clinics” operating in Lund and Malmö. Doctors there suggest that patients with mild seasonal depression begin treatment with a series of two-hour light therapy sessions instead of antidepressants. Scientists do not know exactly how effective it is. A 2016 study reported on 16 patients whose serotonin levels increased after light therapy. Other studies suggest that light therapy works due to the placebo effect.

Swedes also fight winter blues with the help of sports and fika - the tradition of gathering big company for coffee with sweets and cookies.

Winter time can make almost any person feel blue. At this moment, everything goes awry for a person, his mood changes sharply and there is general dissatisfaction. What to do in such moments? How to get rid of the blues? Online magazine Factinteres will try to answer these questions and give 7 effective ways to get rid of the blues.

Walks

Yes, going outside in the cold is not the most pleasant thing. However, try to overcome yourself and take a walk. All doctors agree that a person needs a daily walk for an hour. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s frosty or hot outside. Wrap yourself up in your warmest clothes and go for a walk.

Meditation

Just ten years ago, few people knew about meditation. However, recently it has become a very popular way to calm down or drive away the oncoming blues. Scientists have found that meditation helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meditation helps slow down the aging of brain cells and improves concentration. Plus, meditation doesn’t require any financial investments.

Nowadays you can install applications on almost every smartphone that will help you practice meditation. They contain special calm music, descriptions of techniques, etc. Examples of such apps are Calm and Pacifica.

St. John's wort tea

St. John's wort has long been considered an excellent cure for bad mood. Recent studies have shown that St. John's wort works to reduce anxiety and fatigue. In addition, St. John's wort tea helps get rid of depression and blues. However, you should not pour many liters of tea into yourself at once. This can cause eye damage, especially when exposed to the sun.

Psychotherapy

A universal way to determine whether you really have seasonal blues is psychotherapy. It is a specialist who is able to understand whether simple melancholy has attacked you or is it a sign of some kind of disease. Most often, a person cannot install on his own real reasons blues. Unfortunately, you will have to look for a good psychotherapist, because... The quality of service in public clinics leaves much to be desired.

Phototherapy

Treatments such as herbal medicine appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the technique has changed slightly and accessibility has increased. Studies have shown that exposure to bright light helps relieve depression and blues. Plus, this technique helps normalize your daily routine.

A herbal medicine session can be performed in most clinics. You can also purchase a herbal medicine lamp at a hardware store. Usually doctors prescribe half-hour sessions 2-3 times a day. However, be careful.

Aromatherapy

Some people find aromatherapy helpful. Pleasant and favorite smells can evoke positive emotions in a person and the blues go away on their own. Unfortunately, scientists cannot say for sure whether aromatherapy helps, but it is definitely worth a try.

Most often, essential oils are used for aromatherapy, which are added to a warm bath, aroma lamp or massage. Be careful not to get the essential oil into your body.

What in our country is used to being called winter depression, in the West has long had an official name: Seasonal Affective Disorder - “seasonal emotional disorder”, abbreviated as SAD, which translates from English as “sad”. Another, more poetic name for the same problem is “winter blues.” According to the American National Mental Health Association, young people and women are most susceptible to this very melancholy. According to psychologist Zhanna Sandaevskaya, the occurrence of winter blues can also be explained from a philosophical point of view. Subconsciously, we treat autumn as a period of dying of nature, and we even perceive winter as temporary death. This brings to mind the frailty of human existence and causes sadness.
We've identified several key factors in the development of seasonal affective disorder and figured out how to cope with each of them.

LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

The same National Mental Health Association claims that the main culprit of winter blues is melatonin, a hormone that regulates circadian rhythms and works in tandem with another hormone, seratonin. Just as in the Taoist monad, Yin is dark and passive, and Yang is light and active, so seratonin in the human body is responsible for wakefulness and good mood, and melatonin is responsible for sleep and a passive state, including emotional. And just as in Chinese philosophy, dark and light fight with each other, and the more one manifests itself, the less the other becomes. Accordingly, the more melatonin in the body, the stronger a person’s desire to crawl under a warm blanket and tell others: “Leave me alone!” But what does winter have to do with it? And despite the fact that melatonin is produced in the dark, which is in abundance in the winter.

You can fight excess harmful hormones through light - preferably sunlight. Ordinary incandescent lamps are not suitable - their light does not contain ultraviolet radiation, under the influence of which seratonin is produced. If it suddenly turns out to be a sunny day, go outside and just take a walk. Even a 35-40 minute walk in clear weather can significantly increase seratonin levels in the body. No way to get some fresh air? Then at least move your desk closer to the window. And if the chances of seeing the sun in winter are less than not re-electing Putin, go to the solarium. For therapeutic purposes, short sessions of 5-10 minutes 3-4 times a month are sufficient. Just don’t forget to consult with a specialist - artificial sun is contraindicated for many chronic diseases, skin and thyroid diseases. In addition, seratonin is synthesized in our body from a special amino acid - tryptophan. Its production can be easily stimulated by consuming foods rich in this substance: dark chocolate, dates, bananas, plums, figs, tomatoes, milk, soy products, peanuts, pine nuts, meat (especially poultry).

TIRED TOYS SLEEP

Winter is the traditional hibernation time for bears, hedgehogs and other animals. And man is no exception here. According to research conducted by American psychologist Deborah Serani, people usually sleep an average of 42 minutes longer in winter than at other times of the year. But for a person suffering from SAD, it’s 2.5 hours longer! And what? It would seem that sleep is an excellent way to combat stress, but anyone who has ever suffered from depression or unrequited love knows: the more you sleep, the more you want to lie in bed and do nothing. The reason for this is the same melatonin - it is most actively produced during sleep. American psychiatrist Henry Emmons advises sleeping no more than 8 hours a day and accustoming yourself to getting up at the same time. And Deborah Serani adds: Don't go to bed too early! And, of course, you need to fight the 24-hour desire to take a nap.
In this best assistant were, are and will be all the same - sports, physical exercise and dancing.

FROST AND COLD

An environmental factor such as temperature has a multifaceted effect on the body. We have all experienced it ourselves: negative temperatures are much more difficult to endure than positive ones. If only because on human skin
ten times more receptors that respond to cold than those that respond to heat. Under the influence of frost, a short-term constriction of blood vessels first occurs, followed by their dilation and an increase in blood flow - this is manifested
in redness of the skin. Prolonged exposure to cold can cause adverse consequences: weakening of vascular tone, which leads to slower blood flow and insufficient blood supply to tissues. There is no need to be afraid - there is no talk of any serious damage. However, overall physical tone decreases. Do you remember how difficult it is to hang curtains while keeping your hands hanging all the time? This happens precisely due to decreased blood flow. Physician-therapist, head of the therapeutic department Natalya Efimova advises: always dress for the weather!

FOOD FOR THE SOUL

In winter, our body needs not only warmth and more calories, but also additional emotions. Winter in the city means greyness, dirt and cloudy skies. There are few colors, pleasing sights and smells. “The olfactory center of the brain strongly influences the limbic system, which is responsible for the formation of emotions. Few pleasant smells“Consequently, the limbic system is starving, we lack endorphins—pleasure hormones,” says Yulia Ovchinnikova, candidate of psychological sciences, associate professor of the faculty psychology research university HSE. - Look for ways to receive aesthetic pleasure: look at beautiful people, go to a museum or a concert, inhale the aromas of your favorite perfumes and oils. Finally, think about a new dress. Look around and look inside yourself - find beauty, if not outside, then inside.”

In addition to the visual and olfactory, the body also experiences tactile “hunger” - in winter we wear a lot of clothes that cover almost the entire body. Tactile sensations become minimal, and even then not the most pleasant - dry skin, itching from woolen clothes, cold wind, prickly snow in the face. We are deprived of an important source of information and sensations - contact with the body. What to do? Touch and smell! Cook, draw, sculpt, knit, sew, roll in the snow, play snowballs, hug. The best bodily therapy is an ice slide. Especially if you arrange a bunch of it with your loved one, friends or children.

“A good remedy against the winter blues is massage of a special reflexogenic zone - the He-Gu point,” says Vlada Titova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, psychotherapist. In the East, this point was known more than a thousand years ago and helped in the treatment of many ailments. Modern research has confirmed that exposure to He-Gu helps improve immunity and eliminate symptoms of fatigue and depression. It’s easy to find: on the back of the hand, closer to the top of the triangle formed by the thumb and forefinger. To make the search easier, take a pea or a grain of buckwheat and move it in the indicated place until you find the area of greatest pain - this will be the He-Gu point. You need to massage it in a circular motion clockwise for 1.5-3 minutes, deeply enough, overcoming unpleasant, often very painful sensations. The course can be carried out for 2-3 weeks - and then spring is just around the corner.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder:
. feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness
. lack of energy
. sleep problems: having difficulty falling asleep and waking up frequently at night
. changes in appetite and/or weight
. inability to concentrate and make decisions
. predominance of negative thoughts
. loss of interest in people, physical and social activity in general
. increased appetite, special interest in sweet and starchy foods

TEXT: Pavel Koshyk