As nights draw in and the weather gets cold and grey, it’s understandable that many of us will start to feel a bit flat and miserable. Whether you’re feeling the effects of the lack of sunlight or generally feeling uninspired and lonely in the New Year, they’re not pleasant emotions. Luckily, you can do a few things to help beat those winter blues.
With ‘Walk Your Dog Month’ coming up, there’s never been a better time to get walking to support your mental and physical health – stay tuned as we investigate the benefits…
When is Walk Your Dog Month?
Walk your dog month takes place from the 1st to the 31st of January 2022 and aims to get you out and about with your pup absorbing what little sunshine there is while getting your blood pumping and those endorphins flowing.
What are the ‘Winter Blues?’
The ‘Winter Blues’ refers to the drop in mood that many of us feel during the winter. Whether it’s a general sense of gloominess because of shorter days and the lack of sun, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it can be a miserable time.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) refers to a seasonal type of depression that is believed to be caused by a lack of sunlight, meaning your body isn’t producing as much Vitamin-D or serotonin as it would in the spring and summer months. Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter that carries messages from one area of the brain to another, regulating mood, sleep, memory, and appetite. A lack of serotonin can cause a range of symptoms and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
The Winter Blues or SAD might cause you to feel like you don’t have enough energy or feel generally sad and depressed. Other symptoms of SAD may include:
- Feeling hopeless;
- Feeling emotional or extra-sensitive;
- Increased anxiety and stress;
- Changes in appetite and sleeping habits
However, there are no specific or must-have symptoms required to fit into the SAD diagnosis. Depression is often considered more of a spectrum. If you are experiencing mood, appetite, or sleep changes that affect your day-to-day life, you should contact your doctor or healthcare provider to get a diagnosis and discuss the right treatment options.
However, if you are experiencing a low mood you don’t have to wait to start tackling it – there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself feel better.
How Walking Your Dog Can Help Beat the Winter Blues
One of the easiest ways to start tackling the Winter Blues is to head out for a brisk walk amongst nature and get some sunlight on your skin.
How to stay motivated
SAD can be a bit of a vicious cycle as it can make you feel so depressed that you don’t want to get out of bed, let alone leave the house.
But if you can, just take it one step at a time and get yourself out the front door (with encouragement from your four-legged friend, of course).
Your canine companion needs the exercise to stay healthy, so that’s one good reason to get going, but you might find that once you’re outside, the motivation takes care of itself.
Ways to feel less lonely
Another factor of SAD can be the feeling of isolation, and whether it’s real or perceived, dogs are a great way to break down barriers that would otherwise make you feel alone.
For example, heading to a dog-friendly restaurant is a great way to get out in your community without the pressure of socializing. You can hang out with your dog or take the opportunity to chat with other like-minded dog owners you come across.
Does distraction help?
A change in scenery is an excellent way to shift your mind from feeling down. Walking your furry friend is also a great excuse to start exploring your local area, so it’s a win-win! There is plenty to keep you and your pup occupied on a walk, especially if there’s a nature reserve nearby. So, why not head out and explore?
Other ways to beat the Winter Blues/SAD
Exercise is just one way to help treat the Winter Blues/SAD and reduce the associated symptoms. Some other methods include:
Counseling & talking therapy
Counseling and therapy are often effective forms of treatment when it comes to depression in general, but also the Winter Blues. Even though it’s generally believed that SAD is caused by a drop in sunlight, it might be that the gloomy season has triggered some deeper feelings.
Either way, speaking to a counsellor to see if there are any other causes is generally a good idea when it comes to low mood, and can provide a safe, confidential space for you to openly discuss your feelings.
Meditation
It might be difficult at first to consider how meditation and the Winter Blues could be connected, but feeling gloomy can often become a cyclical scenario.
For example, the grey weather and being stuck in the house might make you feel miserable, which signals your brain that the situation you are in is unacceptable. Then your brain will focus on a situation it doesn’t like, causing further depression or sadness.
Mediation is the practice of sitting with your thoughts and feelings and simply observing them without judgment. You take the time to sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and become a witness to your current state of being. This causes a spaciousness between your mind and ‘you’ and helps you see that you can simply observe those feelings – you do not have to identify them as yourself.
It may seem difficult at first as an anxious or depressed mind can be overactive and loud if you are new to meditation. But it’s important to remember you do not need to stop the thoughts; simply watch them come and go like clouds in the sky. Over time, it will become easier to witness your thoughts, and your negative emotions will become easier to manage.
Stabilise your sleep routine
You go through various stages of sleep during the night, and all of these stages need to be performed for you to be at your best the next day. SAD can cause all sorts of sleep disturbances, whether it’s insomnia or starting to nap in the daytime.
To help you get the best night’s sleep possible, it’s a good idea to ditch screens and tech a couple of hours before bedtime. You should also try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day and avoid caffeine and alcohol where possible. Getting a good night’s sleep means that the rest of your efforts won’t be in vain, so get cozy and settle down with a good book before bed.
Sit where the sunlight is
As the Winter Blues/SAD is thought to be caused by a lack of sunlight, an easy adjustment is just trying to sit wherever sunlight is during the day.
Reading a new book? Read it next to a window. Working from home? Move your desk directly in front of a large window. Eating dinner? Eat near a window… you get the picture! Try increasing time spent in sunlight wherever possible. Whether it’s taking more frequent breaks to spend outside or simply making small adjustments to move within the sunlight, it can help your body produce more Vitamin D.
You can also get Vitamin D supplements, but it’s a good idea to contact your doctor or pharmacist first to discuss whether this might be a good treatment option for you.
We all know hanging out with pets can be an excellent treatment for depression and feeling sad, but there are other options if you’re pet-free. So, get out there during Walk Your Dog Month and help to banish the Winter Blues for good!
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How To Beat The Winter Blues
Debbie is an experienced writer currently based in the UK working at Affinity Agency. Her main goal is to help others learn and develop through well-researched and informative content.
