EP 32: 5 Ways to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder

Are you one of the 20 million people who dreads the fall?

Seasonal Affective Disorder feels like the start of a long and dreary season especially those who live further north and experience the shortening of daylight.

It’s important to know what the symptoms of SAD are, and that there are ways to cope with it. I’ll share with you five ways to help you get through it in this week’s episode.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s in this episode:

• [3:52] Each year, people who suffer from SAD often have a predictable set of symptoms. They have a hard time getting to sleep, difficulty waking up in the morning, low energy, increased appetite especially for sweets and salty food. They also experience weight gain, poor concentration, brain fog, tendency to isolate, low mood, etc.     
• [4:32] It’s disruptive because it happens every year and lasts for a long time.
• [4:45] SAD is linked to lack of light.
• [5:23] It's believed that Vitamin D deficiency as well as the lack of sunlight combined to produce disruptions in a part of your brain called hypothalamus.
• [6:58] Experiment with bright light therapy.
• [8:54] Try negative ion therapy.
• [10:26] It's been shown to help 75% of people with SAD. 
• [11:10] Forest bathing is simply spending time amongst trees. Time spent amongst trees leads to lower cortisol levels, reduces pulse rate, and lowers blood pressure.
• [11:52] Eat and supplement with serotonin in mind.
• [13:57] Just because it's cold and the days are short, it doesn't mean that it's not sunny especially in the middle of the day. 
• [15:23] There's something magical about being grounded on the earth and in a playful frame of mind. It feeds your soul and nourishes your mind.

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

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Trudy Stone YouTube Channel

Rise and Strive Free eBook 

Rise and Strive Free eBook 

Center For Environmental Therapeutics (CET)

Using Your Lightbox (CET)

Choosing a light therapy box (Mayo Clinic)

Episode 31: Why Are More Black Americans Dying of COVID-19?