SHORT DAYS & SAD TIMES!

I am a great lover of the seasons, but I have to say that I am no big fan of this particular time of the year.  Don’t get me wrong - I love crisp autumn mornings, the beautiful colours of the leaves on the trees, the blackberries in the hedges, warming hot soup and open fires … but it’s just that for those three or four weeks in the run up to the winter solstice on, the days seem so short and the nights so long!   

• Talking to my clients, I know that many of them feel the same.  There is even a name for that depressing feeling that can come with certain times of the year – SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  So here are some tips that might help you to feel better:    

• Take every opportunity to make the most of what light there is.  That may mean getting up earlier than usual, making sure you take a break during the day and get out into the light and air, and going for walks at the weekend (wrap up well if it’s cold!).  Also, look up to the sky to make sure as much light as possible enters the pineal gland via your eyes (if we don’t get enough light, the pineal gland may produce too much of the hormone melatonin which can cause drowsiness, fatigue and low energy).

• Go with the season and don’t fight against it.  Our two dogs, Sunny and Sylvie, are noticeably less active in the autumn and winter.  They instinctively know that this time of year is a time for resting, drawing the horns in and sleeping!  As humans we should do the same - curl up in front of the fire, take things easier, and go to bed earlier.

• Buy a special SAD lamp – they are available at Argos. 

• Above all, stay positive and remember that the turning point is only a few weeks away: after 21^st December, the worst is over, and we can look forward to longer days and shorter nights, as well as the joys of the festive season. 

I was talking recently to a friend who is going to Sweden this month.  She told me that the nights there start at 1 pm!  She added that she was looking forward to coming back to more light in Ireland just before Christmas.  So be like her, and focus on the positive!