Fighting off winter blahs

As the long, dark stretch of winter looms ahead, it can be a struggle for some people to keep the blues at bay, but there are several tips that can help until spring arrives, offers Jane Kinyon, a clinical professor in the School of Nursing at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. She points out that mild depression, or the "blahs," are common in the winter due to the double impact of a lack of sunlight and the often cold temperatures that discourage outdoor activities, which is why more discipline is needed this time of year to keep spirits afloat.

"In addition to the obvious things--eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep--it's important to make ourselves do things like have lunch with a friend or take a walk," Kinyon urges. "We must schedule activities like this and make ourselves get out in the winter because we might not do them otherwise"

Putting more light into our lives also is beneficial, she recommends. "Having a lot of lights on in the house may not be a substitute for sunlight, but it can raise our spirits. If your house is dark and it's dark outside, it just contributes to a low mood."

Kinyon also suggests a tactic she calls "reframing," which, she indicates, is "just like in your house, where you have a picture hanging on the wall that you like but are tired of the frame. Reframing is about turning a given situation around to make it more positive" There are a number of things about winter that can be positively reframed, Kinyon advises, such as the beauty of the snow and the uniqueness of each snowflake, or the way the leaves have fallen off the trees only to be replaced months later with buds signaling new life.

"Even if winter is not your favorite season, get out there and take a look at nature this time of year," Kinyon concludes. "The fact is, we might not appreciate spring as much if it weren't for winter."

COPYRIGHT 2007 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning