I'm sure there are many on this forum who suffer from this. I don't know why but this winter is worse than usual. Have any of you got any tips in how to improve your moods? I have a Strand patt 23 which I turn on (sparingly at 1000w!) which I find helps a lot, Vit D tablets also help I think.
I tend to work during the night so get very little daylight on my skin.
I am lucky it doesn't depress me.
My ex wife suffered badly with SAD or maybe it was me she was depressed with and blamed something else !
I am lucky it doesn't depress me.
My ex wife suffered badly with SAD or maybe it was me she was depressed with and blamed something else !
SAD appears to be triggered by periodicity and the intensity of orange to green light.
Plant lights in the kitchen and living room (we have snapdragons flowering now) have helped Linda quite a bit.
They are on as long as we are awake.
I think the blossoms help too. A little sign of life with all the sticks and snow.
Plant lights in the kitchen and living room (we have snapdragons flowering now) have helped Linda quite a bit.
They are on as long as we are awake.
I think the blossoms help too. A little sign of life with all the sticks and snow.
I must be lucky. I look to each of the seasons and the consequential weather and try and enjoy the good parts of each.
If it's hot out, I wear only enough clothing so I don't get arrested.
When it's cold out, I dress to beat the cold and feel emboldened when I win.
When the sky is gray, as it is often here in Vancouver, it gives me a chance to gather my inner thoughts rather than marvel at the beautiful weather. It's good thinking time. I have often solved a problem or concern during bad weather or when the amount of light hours is few. I make a point of not letting things interfere with my mental well being.
If all else fails, I grab a bottle of rum and start singing Jimmy Buffett songs.
If it's hot out, I wear only enough clothing so I don't get arrested.
When it's cold out, I dress to beat the cold and feel emboldened when I win.
When the sky is gray, as it is often here in Vancouver, it gives me a chance to gather my inner thoughts rather than marvel at the beautiful weather. It's good thinking time. I have often solved a problem or concern during bad weather or when the amount of light hours is few. I make a point of not letting things interfere with my mental well being.
If all else fails, I grab a bottle of rum and start singing Jimmy Buffett songs.
Yes Cal, we are the lucky ones. Our natural 'sunny' dispositions(no coincidence in the terminology) require only simple tunes, simple molecules, a taste or smell to pick up our moods. Or even just a problem to solve.
Alas it is not so easy for so many we know and love, wish that it was.
Alas it is not so easy for so many we know and love, wish that it was.
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Yes boswald, it is true, there are many things I do not understand. I wish to others they were able to focus on what matters and what doesn't. To me, SAD is one of those. I like to look at the bright side and I was gifted with the ability to focus myself in that very direction. Even a lousy day has some good in it. For that I am grateful.
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I think its about determining what you want out of life, what interests you and what you want to do with your remaining time.
I enjoy the challenge of software engineering and so spend quite a bit of time on software projects. I also enjoy hardware projects, audio and otherwise.
Nothing like the feeling of a difficult project coming together and the feeling of achievement.
This is what messed up my marriage as she had no interest in anything much and I liked to keep busy. Not really a problem now as my prostate is enlarged and nothing functions correctly anymore.
Problems like SAD are the result of issues with brain chemistry, and the metabolism of such, which are skewing signals and the reactions to them.
This is why altering stimuli can be helpful, and strong chemical interventions can make it worse, because if the molecules already present are not being metabolised properly the added ones are not likely to be either, thus providing more unhelpful chemicals in an already troubled brain.
So, keeping busy and interested is not an option till we can get the brain at least into the spectrum of normal operation. Fortunately we don't have to fully understand what's going on - if we can identify and remove triggers we can provide at least some relief.
Symptomatic relief is no cure, but a little less awful is better than just as bad.
This is why altering stimuli can be helpful, and strong chemical interventions can make it worse, because if the molecules already present are not being metabolised properly the added ones are not likely to be either, thus providing more unhelpful chemicals in an already troubled brain.
So, keeping busy and interested is not an option till we can get the brain at least into the spectrum of normal operation. Fortunately we don't have to fully understand what's going on - if we can identify and remove triggers we can provide at least some relief.
Symptomatic relief is no cure, but a little less awful is better than just as bad.
I currently live in a land where the winters are warm and dry. Sunshine and good weather all winter are what drive millions to come here in this season.
However, it's been cool, grey, dark and rainy here for days. I find it depressing, tho certainly cozy at home.
However, it's been cool, grey, dark and rainy here for days. I find it depressing, tho certainly cozy at home.
The question then becomes what causes the alteration in brain chemistry?
As a species we used to be far more tied to the seasons, wherever we lived, and in more temperate climes winter would be a time of hunkering down, sleeping a lot and eating little, largely waiting it out. Now we have electric light, central heating and 9 to 5 jobs, often going to work and coming home in the dark, how depressing is that?
No input from Nordic countrymen...?
Since we from older days followed the reindeers to the snow landscape, we are just used to this hopeless climate here.
But it's more scary all the temperature records we have now, both the ups and downs...
Cal, and all this time I thought the Rum and Jimmy was your default operating mode, rather than tactic of last resort. I guess that says more about the company at Finlayson Arm Road fests than you felt comfortable sharing at the time?😉
How did I know my friend Chris was going to chime in here? Yes, my reputation precedes me and that Jimmy and rum are the modus operandi on those occasions calling for it.
Now, shall we discuss a particular evening not too many summers ago where we had SCD, Calhoun and Mr. B? Perhaps we can leave that one in the treasure chest for now and remember when our beloved Mr. B damn near met his maker with an ill advised crow bar incident with a chicken coop? Your life is still passing by me in that memory.
I wish you the merriest of Christmas' and hope that we get to share more time in the future. Give Sue a big ol' Cal hug whether she wants it or not.
Now, shall we discuss a particular evening not too many summers ago where we had SCD, Calhoun and Mr. B? Perhaps we can leave that one in the treasure chest for now and remember when our beloved Mr. B damn near met his maker with an ill advised crow bar incident with a chicken coop? Your life is still passing by me in that memory.
I wish you the merriest of Christmas' and hope that we get to share more time in the future. Give Sue a big ol' Cal hug whether she wants it or not.
Yeah over here it has been pretty much pishgray weather through major part of the autumn, and too warm for the snow to appear, I guess the guys at the HAARP station are shooting billions of Watts into the ionosphere, and perhaps in combination with a special fuel mix they are running all the commercial airliners makes the sky gray and crying, got to instill the world populous we have a climate change and a covert reason to stop buying oil and gas from P*tler, just wild speculations with my tinfoil hat on... lol
However, the last couple of months before the snow becomes permanent on the ground can be quite dull and depressing, especially if the sunny clear days are very few in between, usually when the snow finally arrives it always brings a relieving feeling, everything becomes bright even at night, especially during full moon, also everything becomes very quiet outside due to the acoustic damping the snow provides, quite a magic feeling.
However, the last couple of months before the snow becomes permanent on the ground can be quite dull and depressing, especially if the sunny clear days are very few in between, usually when the snow finally arrives it always brings a relieving feeling, everything becomes bright even at night, especially during full moon, also everything becomes very quiet outside due to the acoustic damping the snow provides, quite a magic feeling.
I do suffer from this malady sometimes. I hate it when the days get real short. I hate it when the sun goes down before 5:00. At this time of year it goes down around 4:30 or so.
Bright sunny winter days help me a lot. My house gets a lot of sun and I bought it for the large windows. Even better is mild sunny days where I can spend time outside without freezing my jewels off.
I usually get it after 5 or 6 days in a row of no sunshine. This coupled with the really short days is too much.
The start of this winter hasn't been too bad this year. Yesterday my buddy was over and we worked on cars until after sundown. It was sunny and mild (50s) and it did a lot to boost my mood. No winter blues, yet.
Bright sunny winter days help me a lot. My house gets a lot of sun and I bought it for the large windows. Even better is mild sunny days where I can spend time outside without freezing my jewels off.
I usually get it after 5 or 6 days in a row of no sunshine. This coupled with the really short days is too much.
The start of this winter hasn't been too bad this year. Yesterday my buddy was over and we worked on cars until after sundown. It was sunny and mild (50s) and it did a lot to boost my mood. No winter blues, yet.
Yup, just had pretty much a month of cloudy and wet days, it's gotten me down more than usual. I have often wondered how they cope at more northern lats. now I know🙂 For snow to lay is pretty unusual for more than a week here. Been sunny here today though!!!
The Strand (dimmed) points to a wall painted this colour..look at the room setting wilh the wicker settee (2), that's what it looks like, only MUCH brighter 🙂 A very Happy Holiday to all of you 🙂
The Strand (dimmed) points to a wall painted this colour..look at the room setting wilh the wicker settee (2), that's what it looks like, only MUCH brighter 🙂 A very Happy Holiday to all of you 🙂