Lots of people get the “wintertime blues.” But did you know it’s actually a thing?
Yep. Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD for short – affects people around the world when they live with more darkness than during warmer months and it is more common in women!
For some women, the symptoms of SAD are similar to the symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause! The symptoms can include depression, lack of energy, decreased interest in activities that you once loved, increased appetite, weight gain, feeling slow, sluggish and lethargic! Cold weather can also aggravate aching muscles and joint pain that comes with the menopause.
Fortunately, sensitivity to the weather and winter blues during menopause is manageable with a few lifestyle changes. As with controlling menopause symptoms, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is of key importance:
If like me, you experience some of these SAD symptoms, here are some tips to beat it:
- Get more sunlight, even if it just means sitting by a window.
- Get outside for some exercise. Don’t let the colder weather keep you locked inside.
- Regular Exercise!
- Eat a healthy balanced diet and limit your alcohol
- Check your vitamin D and consider a supplement.
- Watch a movie set in a tropical scene (weird, but this actually makes a difference!)
- Engage in creative hobbies that bring you joy.
- Socialise – okay that’s not the easiest thing to do right now but you can still Facetime or call your friends and family! Why not organise a ZOOM pub quiz or similar!
This year, we’re all compromised in our abilities to do whatever we want. But that doesn’t mean we have to be ruled by SAD. By adapting our routines and lifestyles to ensure we stay healthy and well during the winter, the symptoms of SAD can be manageable to make sure it doesn’t make menopause worse!
Fight back and turn those blues around.
Nicki xx
PS: If you need some expert guidance and help that will motivate you to eat healthier and get back your body moving this year, then come and join my FREE support Facebook group!
Click here to join: Nicola Carless Fitness & Fat Loss For Busy Women
