As the days begin to warm, the birds begin to chirp, and the sun begins to shine more, we enter into the spring months and out of the cold and dreary winter months. During the winter months, many experience what we call the “winter blues.” For some individuals, the winter months are some of the hardest times of the year. Maybe it’s the holidays that you are dreading or the short, dark days, it may be hard to find joy in those months. When you begin to struggle with finding joy, you may find that you are experiencing some symptoms similar to depression; this is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 
The symptoms often associated with Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder are:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
- Difficulty concentrating, remember, or making decisions
- Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
- Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
- Oversleeping
- Overeating
- Social Withdrawal
So how can we move on from the “winter blues” and spring forward with our mental health?
Spring presents a wonderful opportunity to begin introducing new coping strategies into your everyday life in order to assist in fighting the symptoms of SAD that you may be experiencing. Below are just a few ways to take advantage of those opportunities that spring introduces.
Clean and Declutter Your Space
Many times, when we are overwhelmed emotionally and feeling “down,” the space in which we live tends to suffer. Over the winter months, we may find that our space just tends to collect junk, and it might feel like the chaos is too much to deal with; this is what most often leads to the common phrase of “spring cleaning.” I like to think that our environment reflects our mental space because if we are cluttered and disorganized mentally then we cannot take care of our environment.
Regain control over your environment in a way that will assist your mental health by beginning slowly. Break down your space into small specific and obtainable tasks. This will assist with the overwhelming feeling that you are not even sure where to begin. It is important to give yourself grace when going through this process as well. It is easy to “beat yourself up” for allowing your space to get that way, but you are taking the initiative now to regain that control.
Begin Implementing New Habits
The beginning of the new year is not the only opportunity you have to begin implementing new habits into your life. We have all been there; entering into a new year with goals that we want to achieve but after a week or so, we lose all faith in working towards those goals. It may be that you feel discouraged, or that you may be still fighting those “winter blues.” Spring is a great opportunity to start over and look at your goals with a fresh mind.
One habit that you can implement into your life is exercise. Exercising is a great way to de-stress, help improve your overall health and aid in the production of endorphins. Since the spring weather tends to be more tolerable than the winter weather here in Louisiana, you can also incorporate spending time outdoors while exercising. Spending time outdoors has also been linked to improvements in mood, mental health, and emotional wellbeing. Try combining both and exercise outdoors.
Spend Time with Your Mental Space
It is easy to become critical of yourself when you are not in the best space mentally. People tend to struggle with their self-esteem, motivation, and general feelings of sadness over the winter months. This puts many into a very negative mind space that feels almost impossible to get out of. However, as winter begins to end and the joys of spring enter into your life, you can use this opportunity to begin redirecting those negative cognitions you may be battling.
One way you can tackle the negative cognitions is to journal. Journaling is a wonderful way to take all of the nagging thoughts out of your head and put them onto paper. Talking through those thoughts and seeing them in a physical format by writing or typing them out helps you begin to process them. Once those thoughts become tangible and “real,” you then can begin to face them. Think to yourself, “Why am I thinking this way?”, “Do I have evidence to support this thought?”, and “How can I begin to alter this way of thinking?”.
Seek Help for Lasting Mental Wellness
Overall, cleaning and decluttering your space, implementing new habits, and spending time with your mental space are just three steps you can take to move on from the “winter blues” and spring forward in your mental health. Additionally, with the help of psychotherapy, a counselor can provide a space for you to begin implementing these changes, and work with you towards developing a better quality of life. It can be a lonely process trying to work on yourself, but you should not have to face your thoughts and behaviors alone. Counselors are there to provide the necessary encouragement, and nonjudgmental space, and formulate a genuine connection that facilitates your personal growth.
If you are interested in beginning the process of improving your quality of life, schedule a complementary 10-minute Q&A phone call and chat with a counselor.
