#mindfulwinter

The short days and frigid temperatures of winter tax even the most cheerful dispositions. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) plagues over 10 million Americans, particularly women. Yet a range of lifestyle measures and mindset shifts empower you to actively uplift mood despite external gloom.

Let There Be Light

Sunshine serves as our primary and most powerful antidepressant sourced from nature thanks to specific light-sensitive brain receptors. Deprivation during darker months directly correlates to low mood, energy and disrupted sleep-wake cycles. Outsmart the seasonal dip by surrogate sunshine and strategic scheduling.  

Sit Near Windows – Position your desk, kitchen table or favorite reading nook beside large windows to maximize natural daylight exposure, even when overcast.  

Walk Outside Daily – Bundle up and step outdoors for a short vigorous walk once mid-morning to soak up whatever rays exist on even the dreariest days. The movement and fresh air perk you up too.  

Try Light Therapy – Special SAD therapy lamps delivering up to 10,000 lux brightness mimic sunshine’s mood and energy boosting effects. Use for 30-60 minutes early morning.

Time Tasks Right – Knock out analytical work, exercise, social calls and household chores during peak daylight hours. Reserve unwinding and screen time for darker evenings to better regulate melatonin. 

Eat Energy Promoting Foods  

What you eat directly impacts energy production, stress resilience, hormones and neurotransmitters that shape mood. Make dietary upgrades at the cellular level to sidestep thesluggishness that accompanies winter.

Complex Carbs - Whole grains like oats, quinoa and buckwheat provide an instant yet sustainable energy lift while delivering nervine-supporting B vitamins.  

Clean Proteins - Tryptophan-rich proteins from wild caught salmon, grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, spirulina and hemp help produce mood-balancing serotonin.

Prebiotic Fiber - Chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks and asparagus contain prebiotic fibers that feed healthy gut microbes tied to mental health.

Leafy Greens - Magnesium and folate packed spinach, swiss chard and arugula counteract mood-disrupting inflammation and nutrient deficiencies.

Healthy Fats - Brain-building omegas from fatty fish, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds fortify nerve cell membranes against environmental and emotional stressors. 

Stay Hydrated - Dehydration causes fatigue and mood plummets. Herbal tea, electrolyte drinks and fruit-spiked water keep fluid levels optimal.  

Curb Inflammatory Foods - Limit sugar, refined carbohydrates, conventional dairy and factory farmed animal products shown to promote systemic inflammation and subsequent depression.

Destress Your Environment 

External surroundings wield tremendous influence over our emotional states, for better or worse. Cultivate a personal atmosphere across living and work spaces designed specifically to uplift women’s moods amid winter’s gloom. 

Add Full Spectrum Lighting - Replace any cool fluorescent bulbs with warmer broad spectrum LED lights to mimic natural light.  

Houseplants - Nature connects you to simpler joys while quite literally cleansing air. Grow low-light plants like pathos, aloe, philodendrons, orchids, ferns or cacti.

Use Essential Oils - Citrus, floral, herbaceous and woodsy aromas promote calm and optimism through scent pathways to the limbic brain. Diffuse oils like bergamot, clary sage and frankincense. 

Play Uplifting Music - Create a customized peppy playlist to flood spaces with favored soul-stirring artists and songs. 

Display Cheerful Art - Surround yourself with framed visuals and accents featuring vibrant colors, floral motifs, positive words or scenic landscapes.

Declutter - Clear clutter literally lifts overwhelm so you think more clearly. Toss, donate or organize any excess stuff weighing you down indoors.

Infuse Life & Activity

Holiday bustle gives way to stillness and isolation during winter’s early sunsets and frigid temps. But connecting with others and keeping busy redirects women’s focus from seasonally triggered sadness. 

Schedule Socializing - Make plans ahead of time to catch up with friends and family regularly in person, over the phone or via video chat. Check in at least weekly.

Join Classes - From cooking to crafting to fitness, classes offer structure while learning something new often proves therapeutic. Many studios and gyms run January specials too!  

Say Yes More - Accept invitations even when you feel like staying cocooned up at home. New input and community interactions lift spirits.  

Volunteer - Giving back gets you outside your own head, helping others in uplifting ways with like-minded volunteers. Animal rescues, food banks and conservation groups need winter assistance too.

Plan Future Travel - Having wanderlust-worthy adventures on the calendar generates joyful anticipation during in the interim. Sketching upcoming trip dreams also helps manifest them! 

Adopt Mindfulness Habits

Commit to an ongoing mindfulness practice damping down stress reactivity and negative thought patterns that drag women into winter doldrums. Reconnect more purposefully to the present moment.

Breathwork - Simple deep belly breathing activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system response, lowering cortisol levels.  

Meditation - Consistent active or open awareness meditation strengthens neural pathways supporting relaxed focus, healthier perception and self-efficacy. Start small with 5 minutes daily building up to 20.

Gratitude Practice - Keeping a gratitude journal or reciting 3-5 things you’re thankful for daily physiologically combats pessimism and victim mindset over time by retraining the brain’s negativity bias.  

Affirmations – Begin each morning stating positive “I am...” affirmations like “I am empowered”, “I am at peace” or “I am resilient” outload to cement the neural network supporting that self-concept. Fake it ‘till you make it!

Let winter breath new life into your rut-busting creativity and self care commitment rather than defeat you. Implement even a couple tips here consistently to emerge from hibernation brighter, energized and more resilient no matter what the forecast has in store!