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January 2010 Ways to Fight Winter Blahs More people seek help for depression in January than they do in December. If you or your loved ones experience heightened boredom, a reluctance to take down the holiday decorations, or are feeling “the blues,” one of the following ideas might be just what you need to turn January into one of your favorite times of the year. • Prolong the holiday season. Leave up your holiday decorations through the first week in January! Epiphany or Three Kings Day occurs on January 6. The Russian Orthodox Christmas doesn’t happen until January 7. You can choose to celebrate it all. • Decorate…only differently. If you’re ready to pack away the Christmas stockings and holiday candles but still want decorations, celebrate mid-winter. Decorate with white twinkle lights, snowmen, and sparkly snowflakes to help you feel festive. • Have a mid-January party. In Japan, all those who will celebrate their 20th birthday during the year are honored on Coming of Age day (the second Monday in January). The new adults attend parties dressed in their best. It can be likened to the old social debut parties of the aristocratic young. You can host a formal party with a few of your friends on this date. January 15 is also Hat Day in America. If you’re not into formal wear, host a party and offer a prize for the person wearing the most outlandish hat. • Take care of nature. Tu Bi’shevat, or the Jewish festival of trees, stresses the need to take care of nature. It falls on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, which often occurs in January. The day is celebrated by planting trees and eating fresh and dried fruits. While planting trees generally needs to wait a month or two if you live in a cooler region, this is a good time of year to prune your deciduous trees. • Be active. Experts recommend 30-60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. It doesn’t have to be continuous movement. You can achieve 30 minutes of exercise by power-cleaning your house for 15 minutes in the morning, and walking around the block for 15 minutes in the afternoon. Activity combats depression and helps you feel better. • Spend time outside. Half a million people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The “Winter Blues” (a mild form of SAD) may affect even more people. Spending time outdoors during the day and arranging homes and workplaces to receive more sunlight may be helpful, according to Mental Health America. Bright light therapy helps some people. One study found that an hour’s walk in winter sunlight was as effective as 2½ hours under bright artificial light. These are just a few ideas to help you fight off mild post-holiday blues. There are many more. Ask your friends what they do to cope with winter blahs. If your “blues” are severe or prolonged, see your doctor and get professional help right away. Mental Health America. 2009. © 2010 Wellsource, Inc., Clackamas, Oregon. |
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