By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
As thrilling as moving to Killeen may be, eventually the moving high disappears and you return to ground with a great big thud. And when re-entry is throughout the winter months, it can result in seasonal depression--also termed SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Specially if your move has brought you someplace where winter is actually a thing--for instance if you've moved from Arizona to Maine-you should be ready for some seasonal anxiety and understand how to keep it in check through to the springtime thaw.If you recollect anything at all about high school geography, the more north you travel, the less sunlight you will find throughout the fall and winter periods. The shorter days usually go hand in hand with dismal gray days, so that it feels like the sun rarely shines for days at a time. Then all you want to do is hibernate--stay at home, snooze, binge watch movies, and merely steer clear of the world. When you have recently moved across the country and are in a new place, and you haven't essentially settled into a new normal routine yet, you'll find it quicker to fall into the grip of seasonal depressive disorder. Thus, here is how you can deal with it from home, or some therapies a professional might prescribe if you can't keep it under control without any help.
One note--SAD is a real thing--the Mayo Clinic addresses it, as well as the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) includes it. If you feel the symptoms of depression linked to winter months, seek intervention if you've had the symptoms in the past.
Light Therapy
Phototherapy is the miracle bullet for many people with SAD. It's a simple procedure which scientists think modifies your brain balance with half hour per day of exposure; You won't notice any real unwanted side effects and it's a home treatment, so it is worth a chance. You'll need a light box that gives off no less than 10,000 lux (lux factors in the intensity of the lighting). Sit down by the box--approximately 16 and 24 inches away--while you enjoy your morning coffee, not gazing exactly at the light source but with your eyes open. Ensure the light box is made just for SAD therapy, because it will remove UV light.
Easy things--higher-watt light bulbs, opening curtains in the daytime, and sitting by a window where you work, if possible--that expose you to extra light can have a notable benefit. Trim back all shrub limbs that dangle across your residence to allow in additional natural light, and investigate incorporating skylights to let all the sunshine you possibly can to the residence.
Get Outdoors
Take a walk, enjoy your lunch time outside--anything to soak up a few weak winter season sun light. Even a minimal increase of Vitamin D is ideal for you and also getting outside for a small walk takes care of that along with getting your heart rate up. Early morning sun--even on overcast days--packs a greater wallop than the weak afternoon sunshine, so make an effort to get out to get going with your day.
Being active is the normal process for helping almost any depression--it gets the endorphins running, which in turn relieves the symptoms of tension and anxiety. If perhaps your new residence happens to be in a locale where cold weather sports activities are widespread, take up a new hobby--snow skiing, ice skating, perhaps ice fishing. Try to go outside and socialize, even if it is simply eating dinner or having coffee with colleagues.
If your SAD lasts once you have attempted to keep it in check by yourself, you should get a physician's guidance. A psychologist or psychiatrist will perform an in depth assessment of your physical and mental well-being and determine whether your signs and symptoms are actually seasonal or maybe the roots of a more persistent depressive disorder. One of the primary questions they will ask is if any other family members are prone to SAD--it is assumed to be hereditary. Treatments could be talk therapy, relaxation or meditating, or perhaps short-term prescription for antidepressants.
Remember that as the winter season gives way to springtime, so will your SAD lessen as the days get longer and more comfortable. For now, please seek treatment for your SAD so you can take advantage of your wellbeing in your new house after moving to Killeen.
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