Winter blues are not hard to overcome!

Do you feel distressed or depressed in winters? Or do you miss sunshine and hate the gloomy chilly days? The psychologists call this emotional upheaval as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Doctors and psychiatrists suggest that being a couch potato in winters and digging into your quilt will only make you feel colder. If you want to overcome these winter blues, step out and enjoy the winters.

"Exercise contributes to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins reducing stress and pain as well. Most of us spend 90 per cent of our lives indoors, inhaling filtered air and other people's germs, so take every opportunity to get outside. Time spent outdoors in the cold also stimulates the thyroid gland," says Chaitali Verma, a health consultant from a renowned wellness institute.

Go Out

Going out for a walk in the park, or maybe you could also take a walk to the markets or do something active at the weekend. Winters could be excessively boring when you are indoors, and therefore it is a good habit to go out as this will help you relax.

A study at the University of Michigan says that going outdoors even in the cold, improves attention and your memory. Your level of concentration improves and you tend to learn and attain things more. Why not try for an experience?

"We need about 30 minutes of natural sunlight a day, so we need to be outdoors in order to boost our health. It's an essential component of living a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but too many people want to hibernate which only makes things worse," adds Chaitali.

Be Active

Jyoti Varshney, a psychiatrist believes that the only way you can be active in winters is to make sure that you have to do it. Just be confident and encourage your will. It is seen that many people who preach getting up in the morning early themselves are seen sleeping till late. But here comes your will and the way to get going.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise could mean a nice refreshing walk/run during your lunch break, hitting the weights, or even exercising for at least half an hour each day. Most people avoid the gym as they are too cold and lazy to reach the gym to work out. But this can cause some serious trouble in your life. Well, you can argue that there is this odd pleasure in sitting at home all curled up with a book and a cup of tea, but exercising will allow you to be stress free and will cheer you up. So, go for it!

Get a full night's sleep

Your body may need anywhere from 7 hours to 10 hours of sleep each night. Whatever your personal sleep requirement is, get it! Sleeping allows your body to get charged up and lets you feel better, it is a healing process. Getting adequate sleep is very important.

Nurture yourself

Take out time for yourself, spend some time with friends, or indulge yourself in a massage, a hot bath, or an energy work session when you want one. Indulging in luxuries such as hot bath and message will allow you to be physically healthy, and friend, and family can make you feel mentally capable of a lot of work. There is a need to be validated and encouraged and inspired by people around you, and with all the technology today we are only going far away from each other. Therefore, shut your gadgets and start socializing.

Winters aren’t bad; they are just a little gloomy, and you should do all you can to stay away from the gloominess. Set aside your winter blues, with shades of happier colours.

Read more articles on Depression.