Do you suffer from the “winter blues”?  If so, you’re not alone, millions of people suffer from depression each year, many undiagnosed or too embarrassed to take positive action.

Difference Between Winter Blue and Seasonal Affective Discorder

Winter Blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) share a connection to seasonal changes but differ significantly in their impact and severity. Winter Blues, often referred to as a milder form of SAD, represents a temporary mood shift during the fall and winter months. Individuals with Winter Blues might experience sadness, minor sleep disturbances, and a lack of motivation. These symptoms are generally manageable and do not severely impair daily functioning.

In contrast, SAD is a more severe and clinically recognized condition. It manifests as profound sadness, extreme fatigue, sleep and eating disturbances, and a significant loss of motivation during the same seasons. SAD can seriously hinder one’s ability to lead a normal life. Treatment options like light therapy, psychotherapy, and medication are often necessary for individuals with SAD.

In summary, while both Winter Blues and SAD relate to seasonal changes, SAD is a more debilitating and clinical condition requiring targeted interventions, whereas Winter Blues typically involves milder, transient symptoms.

Condition Symptoms
Winter Blues
  • Sadness during the fall and winter months
  • Some trouble sleeping
  • Lack of motivation
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
  • Severe sadness during the fall and winter months
  • Frequent sleep and eating issues
  • Depression that limits normal functioning and motivation

Winter Blues, or sub-syndromal SAD, entails milder symptoms such as occasional sadness, trouble sleeping, and reduced motivation. It’s a common response to the seasonal changes and typically doesn’t severely impair daily life.

On the other hand, SAD represents a more severe form. It involves pronounced and persistent sadness, often accompanied by disruptions in sleep and eating patterns. Unlike Winter Blues, SAD significantly hampers normal functioning and motivation, potentially leading to clinical depression.

While both conditions share the seasonal aspect, the intensity and impact on daily life differentiate them. Winter Blues is akin to a temporary mood shift, while SAD is a clinical mood disorder requiring professional intervention. Recognizing these differences is crucial for appropriate management and support.

Yet, most people with depression who seek help from their doctor are treated with drug therapy alone. What many health care providers fail to realise, is that there are a range of ways you can naturally boost your mood and help overcome depression naturally. Many of which are just as effective as the drugs given but are much safer and without side-effects.

Here are 12 ways to get you started:

1. Take Vitamin B-3

Niacin is vitamin B-3, one of the water-soluble B-complex vitamins. Niacin’s feature is its ability to greatly reduce anxiety and depression.

2. Detoxify

Your body is exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of chemicals each day. You can imagine then how many unwanted chemicals are lurking in your body on a daily basis. Many of which have trouble getting out of your system. Sherry Rogers M.D says ”There are 12 common chemicals often trapped inside the average person’s body – all that have been found to cause depression or damage the nervous system, in addition to causing many other problems.

3. Eat Bananas

Tryptophan is the key ingredient in making serotonin (the happy hormone); without it, serotonin won’t be produced. Because the body can’t make its own tryptophan, it must be taken in as part of the diet. that is why tryptophan is known as an “essential” amino acid. Bananas help overcome depression due to their levels of tryptophan. Without adequate tryptophan from our diet, our body is unable to produce enough of this happy hormone, and therefore can lead to a lowered mood.

The highest sources are from animal products including turkey and chicken, but bananas als contain a significant amount. Among other functions, serotonin promotes feelings of calm, relaxation, and sleepiness. Many of today’s powerful antidepressant drugs actually work to increase the level of available serotonin in the brain.

4. Enjoy A Handful Of Nuts And Seeds Regularly

Tryptophan can be found as a supplement and in foods, particularly in nuts and seeds. Just like banana, nuts and seeds are chock full of tryptophan, so simply by eating them regularly you can help your brain produce more serotonin. For best results and health benefits, however, nuts and seeds should be raw, unprocessed and activated minimising their acidity and improving digestibility.

winter blue treatment wuth nutritional food full of vitamins
Stones24/ Pixabay

5. Increase Your Omega-3 Intake

People with diets high in omega-3 essential fatty acids have lower rates of depression. Eat salmon, trout, herring, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, flaxseed and walnuts. Unfortunately, vegan sources of omega-3 are in ALA form, which our body struggles to convert to the powerful EHA and DHA required for healthy brain function. So in order to get enough to improve your mental health, it may be time to up your intake of seafood to at least 2-3 serves a week. Many doctors also recommend high-quality fish oil supplements.

6. Supplement With St John’s Wort

In a study published by the Cochrane Library, the researchers compiled the results of 29 prior trials, involving a total of 5,489 participants who were randomly assigned either St. John’s wort, a placebo, tricylclicantidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat mild to moderately severe depression. St. John’s wort was found to be more effective than a placebo and at least as effective as bothtricylics and SSRIs, but with fewer side effects.

7. Use Lavender And Bergamot Essential Oils

One essential oil that stands out for depression is bergamot (Citrus aurantium (L.) var. bergamia). Many citruses are acknowledged for their uplifting effects, but bergamot is particularly powerful. Rub somebergamont or lavender essential oil on your temples, neck, and wrists for a boost to your mood and a reduction in stress/anxiety.

Other great ways to benefit is to have a warm bath with a few drops of lavender and bergamot oil, or spritz the blend on your pillow. Placing a small, fragrant lavender plant on a windowsill you walk by regularly will also give you a gorgeous, calming scent that travels with the breeze. Opt for natural bergamot or citrus scented house cleaners too to keep benefitting from the mood and energy boosting effects.

8. Supplement With L-Theanine

L-Theanine is a water-soluble amino acid.  It’s found mainly in green tea and black tea and is also available as a supplement. Studies have found that it acts directly on the brain, helping to reduce stress and anxiety—without causing drowsiness. Dosage: A typical cup of black tea contains only about 25 mg of l-theanine and green tea only about 8 mg. While a cup of tea may be calming, if you want more potent effects, try a supplement, about 200 mg a day.

9. Enjoy Lemon Balm Tea

Research published in 2004, for instance, gave participants a single dose of lemon balm extract (300 mg or 600 mg) or a placebo, then measured their mood after one hour. The higher dose resulted in reduced stress and improved calmness and alertness. Even the lower dose helped participants do math problems more quickly. Dosage: Use in aromatherapy, try 300-500 mg of dried lemon balm three times daily, 60 drops daily, or 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of dried lemon balm herb in hot water for a tea four times daily.

10. Exercise Regularly

Moderate exercise can actually prevent episodes of depression in the long term. Data regarding the positive mood effects of exercise involvement, independent of fitness gains, suggest that the focus should be on the frequency of exercise rather than duration or intensity until the behavior has been well established. Even low levels of physical activity (walking and gardening for 20-30 minutes a day) can ward off depression in people of all age groups. It’s fascinatingly powerful stuff!

11. Spend More Time Outdoors With Friends

When you seem stressed or down, many people tend to suggest you: Take a breath of fresh air. Walk it off. Get out and see people. Turns out all those things combined may, in fact, make you feel better—a lot better—a new large-scale study suggests. Group nature walks are linked with significantly lower depression, less perceived stress and enhanced mental health and well-being, according to the study conducted by the University of Michigan, with partners from De Montfort University, James Hutton Institute, and Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom.

But you don’t always need to be outdoors with others. In another study, participants who walked in a natural area for 90 minutes showed less activity in a brain region associated with depression than those who walked through a city or other urban area.

Just by being outside you’re helping to reduce your risk of vitamin D deficiency too which is also linked to depression. Low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with clinically significant symptoms of depression in otherwise healthy individuals, so if you need to relax, unwind, and boost your mood – exercise or simply enjoy being outdoors more regularly. An average adult only needs 10 minutes a day of sun exposure to help maintain healthy vitamin D levels. If you’re schedule doesn’t allow for being outdoors in the daylight, there are also vitamin D3 supplements available.

12. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamin B12

Low levels of B12 can be a risk factor for depression, and it’s common in vegans and alcoholics. There are very few vegan-friendly foods that contain B12, so if you suspect you’re low, make sure to supplement with high-quality B12 to boost your levels. Signs include fatigue, shortness of breath, tingling and numbness in the extremities, headache, dementia, disorientation, and loss of concentration and memory.

Also, watch how much you drink. Alcohol naturally reduces your levels of B12 as it damages the cells in your stomach lining, reducing absorption of the B12 you ingest. So if you enjoy a regular glass of wine or beer, but you’re feeling flat, you may want to reduce how often you’re drinking. The daily recommended intake of vitamin B12 for healthy adults is 2.4 micrograms. Good sources of B12 are often animal-based foods and include snapper, prawns, algaes, sea plants and miso. However, you can also get B12 from vegan nutritional yeast.

Depression and anxiety affects so many of us, yet it still remains such a taboo topic. Despite what the medical profession may say, you don’t need to jump straight to medication with a range of nasty side effects (some even include depression as a side effect!). Instead, try these 12 tips to help manage depression naturally, and seek the help of a health professional who is willing to work with you with a holistic view.

Julia

Aspired author of the Health and Wellbeing News. Work on improving my life, respect mental health, aim balance. Love pilates, photoshopping, engaging plots and discussions.

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