1. Light up your life. Spending time outdoors during the day or arranging homes and workplaces to receive more sunlight can be really helpful. Studies have shown that an hour in the sunlight is as affective as 2 and half hours under a bright artificial light.
2. Get moving. Do something to reduce your stress and improve your endomorphic levels - walking, swimming, cycling or regular and moderate aerobic exercise.
3. Brighten Up. Keep your curtains or blinds open throughout the day and cut back any foliage that blocks light from your windows.
4. Buy a negative ioniser. Research in light therapy has also shown that SAD sufferers may benefit from negative ionisers.
5. Dawn simulation. Some people, especially those that need to wake in the morning when it is still dark may benefit from lamps that simulate a slow, gradual sunrise, in the final hours of sleep. The light levels are much lower than those used in bright light therapy and the units are much cheaper to purchase. People who have used these lamps say they are extremely effective, one user told us ?after about a week I really felt my depression lift, and felt much more alert in the morning?.
6. Buy or rent a light box. Light boxes can be bought for as little as ?100 and, in the UK, are now VAT free. It is possible to hire light boxes and the SAD association rents boxes to members. See our resources section at the end of this article for details.
7. Change your diet. Eat a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables. with soybeans and soy products, brown rice, millet, and bens. Try to keep to a low fat diet and cut down on protein and red meat.
8. Cut out or down on caffeine and alcohol, switch to herbal teas. SAD sufferers often crave caffeine.
9. Cut down or out refined sugars
10. Try eliminating wheat from your diet
11. Watch your vitamins and minerals. Take daily magnesium and B complex vitamins. A banana smoothie every morning is a great way to ensure you are getting the magnesium you need during the winter too.
12. Take Vitamin D3. D3 is believed to enhance positive affect in patients suffering from winter blues. D3 helps in the utilisation of calcium, phosphorus and in the assimilation of Vitamin A. A dose of 400 to 800 IU per day is recommended, higher dosages should only be taken under the supervision of a professional health practitioner.
13. Increase Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Research has shown these to be effective in alleviating mild depression and symptoms of SAD. Flax seed oil and fish oil are the best sources.
14. St. John's wort. This is believed to help alleviate milder symptoms of SAD. A daily dosage of 900 mg. Warning: St John's wort can have serious side effects in anyone taking drugs such as Prozac and should not be taken by anyone who is HIV-positive or who has had a heart transplant. Always consult your doctor before taking St. John? wort.
15. Kava - (Piper methysticum). Small doses can promote feelings of calm and help elevate your mood. It can also help to regulate sleep if taken an hour before going to bed. Do not use large doses as this may lead to skin and eye problems not take with alprazolam, as this can be very dangerous.
How to Treat Winter Skin! There are various things you can do in order to keep your skin happy and healthy all throughout winter. These include:
Purchasing a Humidifier Who does not have their heating on and their windows closed in winter? The last thing we want is to be sat shivering in our own homes! However, the trapped heat can be really damaging to our skin and it can often cause our skin to dry out and if you have Eczema it can make it even worse and the itching may become unbearable. A humidifier keeps the moisture in the air and can stop your skin from drying out.
You do not even have to pay a fortune for a good humidifier, they are usually inexpensive and they can be purchased from any local drug store. However, you should buy more than one to keep the whole house humidified, but you will be thankful for it overall!
Switch to an Oil Based Moisturizer If you do not already, you should now start to use an oil based moisturizer. Generally, the more oil the moisturizer contains, the more effective it will be in defeating dry skin. The best moisturizers to go for are the ones that actually come in oil form. These usually are made up of 80% oil and 20% water and they are absolutely ideal for winter skin! The water and oil combination helps to create a protective layer which generally makes it more moisturizing than creams and lotions.
Take Precautions Before You Go Outside Before venturing out into the winter weather, it is always better to protect yourself and your skin first. Believe it or not, you still have to protect the face from the sun in winter and so a moisturizing sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 should be applied.
Wearing gloves is also an essential tip as the hands often get dry and damaged from the severe cold. Sometimes the gloves can be made of a material which will irritate the skin so make sure the gloves that you choose are really comfy. Many people wear a cotton mitten underneath a woolen mitten just to be extra warm, and this does really help to keep the hands protected.
Make Sure That You Dress in Layers However cold it is outside, it is important that we dress in layers so that we do not overheat and sweat excessively. With layers you can easily take something off if you become too warm. Sweating causes itchiness so it is definitely worth avoiding! Loose fitting cotton clothing is always better as it allows the skin to breathe, whilst at the same time keeping it warm.
Condition The Hair More Frequently The hair also becomes dry in winter and so it too needs added moisture. A good conditioner should sort this problem out and a conditioner which you can simply spray into your hair and leave it in may be worth thinking about as it will lock in the moisture for longer.
Use a Moisturizing Shampoo As well as a conditioner, a good moisturizing shampoo is also needed to make sure that the scalp is cleaned properly. Itchiness of the scalp can be a real problem and a good moisturizing shampoo can really help.
Overall, to best look after your body in winter you need to make sure you are getting more moisture into the body than normal. Prevention is always the best cure so be fully prepared and you should sail through winter with no major problems!
Both Davinos Greeno & Louise Forrest are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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