January can be a difficult time for a lot of people. We are often exhausted from the holidays and start to find the cold weather difficult to deal with. Below are some tips to help improve your mood naturally over the remainder of the winter months.
- Consider investing in a Light Therapy Desk Lamp. Using the lamp while at work, especially as the evening approaches, can help to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and elevate mood.
- Take your daily dose of Vitamin D3. In the winter months many people in Canada become deficient in Vitamin D, which can manifest as SAD.
- Bundle yourself up and get outside for some exercise. Sometimes the cold and snow can prevent us from getting out there; however, studies show that getting moderate exercise at least 3 days a week can help fight depression and anxiety.
- Nourish your adrenal glands with Vitamin C, Magnesium and a good B complex. Ask your Naturopathic Doctor about a good herbal supplement to help further boost your energy and mood and improve your sleep.
- Try acupuncture! It can help de-stress, elevate mood and improve sleep.
- Invest in a good multivitamin with minerals. Minerals help to improve mood, the immune system and hormonal health.
- Feeling overwhelmed? Stop and take some deep belly breaths (babies show us the best way to breathe- you can see their little bellies rising and falling with each breath). Breathing deep into our bellies and fully activating your diaphragm can help push our nervous system to rest and digest rather than fight or flight mode.
- Eat to nourish your body. After all of the holiday treats we tend to start craving sugary snacks and carbohydrate-rich treats. Those left over cookies and chocolates start becoming that fuel to push us through the day. The rise and fall of glucose can make our moods unstable. Work on getting more protein and fats into your diet. Nuts and seeds, a hard-boiled egg, some avocado and rice crackers, hummus and veggies sticks are quick and healthy snacks.
Yours in health,
Dr. Jennifer Vidmar B.Sc., ND
