Lately I have noticed I have become more irritable by people and little situations. Normally, I like to think, I am outgoing and most situations do not annoy me. However, the last couple of daysI am feeling spring-fever, I want the snow gone and warm weather to arrive. Because of my current negative mood, I decided to research and find ways to improve my current frame of mind. I found this article...
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100253964
According to Dawn LaFrance, Psy.D., associate director of the Counseling Center at Colgate University, it is actually common to get down in a "winter funk". However, it is important to know the difference between a winter funk and a more serious version, seasonal affective disorder. The difference of course is the winter blues usually last a couple of days and then you find some pleasurable stimulus in your life. Whereas, seasonal affective disorder is much more severe and characterized by clinical depression, anxiety, and changes in weight. This article provided 6 ways to beat the winter blues and help the readers find something positive in their lives.
The first option was Pinpoint What is Getting You Down. Once you realize what is bothering you, it is easier to cope and/or improve your situation. The second choice was Don't Let Your Mood Dictate Your Plans. It is important to keep in contact with your friends, relatedness is a key factor in deciding if you have had a good or a bad day. The third alternative was Watch Your Diet. It is easier to slack and eat unhealthy foods in the winter months, which could result in weight gain and a more serious form of depression. The fourth suggestion was Work Out. Exercise will keep you motivated and help you avoid the winter blues. The fifth option focused on Getting More Light in Your Life. Light gives you health benefits and light therapy is actually used to treat seasonal affective disorder and some mild depressions. The sixth choice was Don't Make Life-Changing Decisions. You do not want to make any rushed life-changing decisions when you are not feeling your best.
Another reason I thought this article was interesting was because in class, we recently discussed aspects that must be met to fulfill your psychological nutrients needed for a good day, positive well-being, and vitality. These aspects included daily autonomy, daily relatedness, and daily competence. If you do not feel in control in some aspects of your life, it may begin a snowball affect. I know this is definitely true for my room mate and myself. Currently, we are applying to grad. schools and are both freaking out because our future plans are in the hands of committees deciding if we would make a good addition to their program.
I find this to be rather interesting. Personally, I have some friends that have been real big downers recently. It has become almost painful to be around them. This article explains a lot of why that could be. I think we all become so busy that keeping up with healthy eating behaviors and working out both get placed on the back burner. It becomes a lot easier to grab a bag of chips while you are studying than it does to make a salad and go workout. The funny thing is that the very friends that are getting to be intolerable are the very same friends I had that all went an got a tattoo that really has no meaning to them, except that they all have it, on a random day. That fits perfectly into #6. I feel like this post gave me an epiphany, all of my friends have the winter blues, and now they have a tattoo to prove it!