While the most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching, so is the time for seasonal depression. The colder months are the hardest on my mental health. The shorter days and cold weather make me feel a constant state of doom and darkness. While I cannot control the future or know what is to come, I have started thinking about ways to boost my mood and keep my spirits high, especially since I am now home 99% of the time and have been starting to get cabin fever.
With so much change going on in daily life during a pandemic, we are being affected by the world around us now more than ever. Quarantine and lack of social interaction makes it inevitable to face some loneliness from time to time. Below is a list of advice based on some slight changes I have been making to get ahead of seasonal depression and to boost my daily mood.
- Find a source of motivation. This for me has been the most difficult part of quarantine- I did not have the motivation to get dressed, create content or anything else that was my “norm”. Instead, I was spending a majority of my free time binge watching Netflix and sleeping.
- Do more of what makes you happy. I’ve finally started blogging and creating content again for the first time in months and it has had a tremendous impact on my mood. I feel more positive, encouraged and happy to be back doing what I love.
- Get out of the house and get fresh air. Whether it is just standing on your porch for a few minutes or going on a 30 minute walk, fresh air and sunlight make a huge difference on your mood, especially when you have been stuck in the house. For me, a family trip to the farm did the trick!
- Check-in with loved ones and have social interactions virtually. While this may not be as effective as face-to-face communication, it is important to combat loneliness by remaining social and staying connected in any way possible. I have been using social media to stay connected with my loved ones.
XOXO,
