Thursday, March 28, 2024

Well-Being Tips for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

November 6, 2019 by  
Filed under Health, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, 14 percent of people in the United States experience SAD (also known as seasonal depression). The term SAD was coined in 1984 by experts and researchers who not only studied the phenomenon, but who suffered from it as well.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, though, has been around a long time, perhaps since the advent of humanity who often searched the heavens for explanations as to feelings and emotions which seemed connected to the seasons.

When experiencing SAD, our moods darken, we are less empathetic and more apathetic; we want to be alone more often than not; we gain weight and we are more irritable.

A large degree of SAD is brought on not only by seasonal change, but also by the memories of the loss of a loved one during the year or during the time when the weather changes or during the holiday season.

Thankfully, we are not at the sole mercy of the season. There are some things we can do to alleviate the effects of SAD. Here are three suggestions (among others).

Think Mental Energy

Seasonal Affective Disorder is really a disturbance of our mental peace more than anything else. Notice I did not say “mental health”. But a prolonged disturbance in our mental peace can indeed lead to a breakdown in our mental health and well-being. There are effective mental calisthenics one can adopt to ease the effects of SAD. Reading books, doing crossword puzzles or other stimulating “brain” games is a good start. In addition, participating in light and hearty conversations with others is good too (which means if you don’t have a lot of “positive” and friendly people in your social group, you may have to rethink who’s in your group). Personal devotional time is also effective; prayer and reading of Scripture have shown to be huge factors in maintaining balance in life.

Stay in the Light

As the season progresses from summer to fall to winter, obviously that means we see less of the sun. In fact, studies point to less light as the singular provocateur of SAD symptoms than any other factor. It makes sense. The less sunlight we are exposed to the more darkness invades our immediate surroundings. Experts suggest we exercise as much outside (weather permitting) in the sunlight as possible. Stay in as much light as possible. Keep the curtains open. Let the sunshine in. Burn candles when feasible.

Exercise as Often as You Can

The most effective deterrent against the effects of SAD is exercise. Exercise is so effective relieving SAD because when you work out the body you work out the brain (mind). When you feel good you look good. When you look good you feel good. Exercise boosts the endorphins in our bodies that produce feelings of well-being. Set aside a minimum of two days per week for exercise and include a healthy dose of high-intensity cardio such as biking, swimming or indoor sprints. If weather does not permit an outdoor power walk, do some form of it indoors and set it to music.

Aim for 30-60 minutes of exercise per day (at least two days per week). Also, work natural body exercises into your routine. Planks and pushups build strength and keep the mental motor fine-tuned as well.

Thankfully, we can do something to not feel SAD!

Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes

This talented brother is a licensed pastor, certified holistic lifestyle coach and author of the Psalm One Man, a book aimed at helping Christian men strengthen their faith walk in Christ. Pastor Croomes is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and is founder and chief executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies spiritual and physical wellness.

Two of Pastor Croomes’ books, Dance in the Dark, Poetic Reflections on Love and Culture (The Apple Tree Group, 2002) and Brotha2Brotha, Becoming Healthy Men from the Inside Out (The Apple Tree Group, 2006)were nominated in 2007 for a literary award and dealt primarily with relationships, personal achievement and empowerment.

One may also visit him online over at; http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.


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