8 Ways to Naturally Support Your Mental Health This Winter
Since my early 20’s I have noticed a change in my mental health nearly as soon as fall begins settling in. And in years past, it progressively gets worse until springtime. I’ve never struggled with it enough to be deemed depression (which i’ll get into below), but I can best describe it as “a funk”. Decreased energy, less motivation, poor immunity, and just overall feeling a bit blahh.
But this year, I am combatting it head-on with some science-backed holistic hacks!
Winter Blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder
Winter blues are a name for juuust what I described above.. kind of just feeling off. But it is not so severe that it is considered depression or seasonal affective disorder (commonly referred to by the acronym SAD… which is entirely fitting).
If you feel like you are unable to stay on top of everyday tasks and personal care or have no energy to even get out of bed, that’s a good indicator that you may be experiencing more than winter blues. If that’s the case, I strongly recommend you reach out to a medical professional that specializes in mental health. They can help give you more appropriate feedback, resources, and advice to treat your symptoms.
The following wellness tips may definitely help you as well, but they are more well-suited for those experiencing the less-severe winter blues.
The Cause of Winter Blues
Research on winter blues has not narrowed it down to one specific thing. In reality, there are a lot of factors that come to play in the winter.
decreased sunlight (meaning less vitamin d in our bodies)
more sugar and inflammatory ingredients during the holidays
oftentimes less physical activity
holiday and familial stressors
feeling “cooped up” indoors due to poor weather
It’s basically a perfect storm of all the foundational components to wellness I talk about with my clients- less nutrient-dense foods, less movement, more stress, more sugar and processed foods.. all of which affect our mood, hormones, and overall wellness!
Natural Ways Improve Mental Health During Winter
With all those different factors potentially at play, it can feel overwhelming. ORR you can look at it as a lot of opportunity for improvement 😉 Here are 8 science-backed ways to help shake the winter blues this season!
morning coffee+ journaling in front of my GembaRed Red Light Panel
Prioritize sunlight
Ideally, this would look like getting sunlight into your eyes and on your skin around sunrise and sunset. Why those times? Because those are the times with the highest levels of red light— which have the strongest influence on hormones.
This time of year we generally have shorter days and weather that is less favorable for outdoor activities. (that means all of us fair-weather folks are cozied up inside instead of hitting the trails)
Similarly, if you live in parts of the world that experience inversions, you have even more limited access to sunlight. This is where artificial light devices and light therapy can be hugely beneficial! (Keep reading for my favorite devices and how I personally use them during the winter- and also their caveat)
Nourishment!
You thought you were going to get through a blog post of mine without me commenting on nourishment… think again!
Nourishment and high-quality nutrients are the foundation to holistic wellness- including mental and emotional health. Try to focus on whole foods from nutrient-dense sources. Some of my favorites are:
high quality animal protein - eggs, meat, dairy, collagen, gelatin, etc.
easy to digest vegetables- root veggies and well-cooked leafy greens are my faves
seasonal fruits- did you know that in-season fruits have higher levels of vitamins and minerals to support your body?!
appropriate supplementation (only after you have created a solid foundation of whole foods)
Movement
Remember what I said about favoring fair-weather?? When it is cold, and snowy, and wet I DO NOT want to be outside. I don’t ski or snowboard, and aside from about one snowshoeing trip a year- I don’t partake in much winter recreation.
It also can make it trickier to take daily walks when there’s ice and snow involved.
That is one of the reasons we built up our home gym with a few versatile and affordable pieces. This ensures that even when we aren’t feeling the weather, we can get some movement into our day!
Getting your blood pumping is important not only for your cardiovascular health, building muscle, and keeping a healthy body weight, but endorphins help to improve your mood as well!
Watch your blood sugar
This time of year is full of holidays, celebrations, and get-togethers. And while those are all fun and amazing- our society loves to include food while celebrating. There is nothing wrong with that, and I am actually a huge advocate for food freedom and taking a balanced approach to food and nutrition. But for some, the occasional holiday treat turns into a FULL SEND of carbs, sugar, and processed foods. (Did you know that binge eating may actually be a sign of being nutrient depleted??)
This “off the rails” kind of approach can result in huge blood sugar swings. This means high-highs followed by low lows (and subsequent cravings) as your body tries to balance things out. Not only is this unhealthy for your endocrine system, but it messes with mood, triggers inflammation, and supresses our immune system.
The goal is to enjoy fun foods during celebrations, while still maintaining overall balance.
Related Read:
Light Therapy
Maybe you live in an area that faces inversions. Or maybe you are up and off to work before the sun comes up. Light therapy has been shown to have positive effects on people’s subjective reports on mental health.
There are several different types of light therapy:
SAD lights- these are bright light boxes that emit a minimum of 10,000 lux
(fun fact: a bright sunny day offers 50,000 lux while a cloudy day offers 10,000 lux- the same amount you would get from a light box. Another reason you don’t need to always purchase products to improve your wellness! Although for some situations like I mentioned above, it may help you personally)
Red light or near infrared light therapy- I have had a GembaRed Panel (pictured above) for the last couple of years and, to be honest, have not consistently used it. But during the times I have been consistent, i have noticed better, more consistent energy and improved skin tone! My goal for this winter is to try to spend 10-15 minutes a day in front of it, in hopes for better energy from a cellular level (plus increased collagen production wouldn’t hurt 😉)
What I love about GembaRed is that they are science and research-backed! Their blog is filled with research so that you can learn the ins and outs of red light therapy and decide if it is right for you. The best part? Unlike other companies that sell red light devices for thousands and thousands of dollars, GembaRed is far more affordable without sacrificing quality.
Shop GembaRed with code kaelyn10 for 10% off all light devices 🏮
6. Community
Community is maybe one of the most important natural ways to combat feeling of depression. Not only is it a fix for loneliness, but it gives people a sense of belonging, purpose, and support. Oftentimes you find the best community when you share interests- whether that is faith, hobbies, or just being in the same stage of life.
As I have gotten older, I have felt the struggle of finding quality community. For our family finding a local church that we love was so important. We know we have the same foundation of faith in the way we are trying to live, work, and raises families and time and time again we are blessed with amazing families to do life with.
I see a direct correlation in my own life between feeling blue and being more isolated, versus feeling a lot more engaged and connected when we are spending quality time with people we admire.
(If you are interested in reading more about the science between community and mental health, NAMI- the national allegiance on mental illness shared this article)
7. Rest
If you look at the world around you during this season, everything is slowing down. Trees are losing their leaves, plants are withering away for the year, and animals are hibernating. And yet us humans make this our busiest time of year with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays and quarter 4 goals.
But i challenge you to find more rest this season. Use this time to nourish and prepare your body for the spring time ahead.
8. Goal Setting
Goal setting not only gives you a sense of purpose, but accomplishment (well, once you accomplish your goals that is)! And depending on what your goal is it can help you to build confidence, have more energy from better nutrition and fitness, learn a new skill, or simply spend more time with the people you care about most. Here are a few goals I have set for myself recently that may help to ✨spark✨ your ideas.
taking 3 months off of instagram (I was wasting sooo much time mindlessly scrolling)
Less screen time overall (and in exchange, I picked up crocheting 🙃)
Getting back into the routine of daily reading- I’m pretty good about reading the Bible every morning to start my day. But beyond that, I really wasn’t making time for reading. And I looove reading. So if you have any new book recs- send em my way!