Nature’s Role in Health: Coming out of Seasonal Depression
When we are locked away in the house all winter or when we are in lock-down due to a pandemic – whatever it is that Is keeping us indoors away from the sun and fresh air – it can lead to melancholy and depression. Once we start into this downward spiral, it can begin to seem overwhelming, heavy, and hard to climb out of. We can start to feel overly anxious and sometimes can have what is known as a ‘panic attack.’ This type of depression/anxiety actually has a name – it is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Symptoms of SAD can include:
A persistent low mood
A loss of pleasure or interest in everyday activities
Irritability
Feelings of despair, guilt or worthlessness
Feeling lethargic and sleepy during the day
Sleeping longer than normal and/or finding it hard to get up in the morning.
Craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
Typically, this happens with less exposure to the sun. When we don’t have enough exposure to the sun, it can have an impact on the hypothalamus which is a part of the brain that affects:
Production of melatonin – this is a hormone which makes you feel sleepy – in people with SAD, they may be producing too much of this hormone.
Production of serotonin – this is a hormone which effects your mood, sleep and appetite – loss of sunlight can reduce the production of serotonin
Body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) - the body uses sunlight to help time important functions such as when to wake up, when to go to sleep and when to eat – so lower light levels can disrupt this internal clock
One of the easiest ways to overcome pent up anxiety is to take your shoes off, go outside and shuffle your feet through the grass. This is a way to literally ground yourself. We run on a type of electricity. When we walk around in synthetic shoes on synthetic floors under synthetic lights all day, we can literally build up excess energy/electricity in our body which needs to be released. When we walk through the grass bare-footed, we are allowing that excess energy to flow out and back into the earth. If the sun happens to be shining – all the better! Along with releasing the extra pent-up energy, we can receive energy (light) from the sun along with vitamin D which will also help to elevate our mood and give us energy.
Scientifically speaking, research has suggested that the earth is a living matrix with a central connection to all living cells. This matrix is held together by electrical conductivity, which acts as an immune system defense (sort of like antioxidants). The body restores its natural defenses by connecting to the matrix through grounding.
One of the reasons many people feel drawn to the beach is because it helps us to feel present in our body and in the moment. Just imagine walking barefoot on the beach, the warmth of the sun on your skin, listening to the waves crashing in on the sand, the smell of the ocean – you are in the moment, present in your body. You’re not worried about tomorrow or next week or what your neighbors' opinions are of you – you are basking in a moment – you are grounded.
A few years ago, I spent a week at the Optimum Health Institute (OHI) with a friend who had cancer. One of my biggest take-aways from that week was the yoga class we attended every afternoon. At the beginning of the session, the instructor would say, “What time is it?” The students would reply, “Now”. He would then ask, “Where are we?” The reply, “Here”. The point was to have everyone present in the moment – feeling our breath move in and out, listening and feeling the beat of our heart, hearing the birds outside the window – being in the moment. My mind always races - I’m always thinking about what’s coming next, what I need to be doing now and tomorrow and next week, running tallies in my head, beating myself up about what I did or didn’t do, figuring out how to pay the next bill or when the next pay check is coming. This particular class really helped me to stop and realize that life is happening right now, in this moment. It helped me learn how to bring myself back into this moment, how to quiet my mind and just be. It was an incredible experience!
If it is the middle of winter and going outside is unrealistic and/or the ground is covered in snow, then some other ideas for grounding might include:
Yoga – not only is this exercise good for your muscles and for detoxing – it will help you to focus on the moment, on your breathing, on becoming in touch with each fiber of your being.
Deep breathing while sitting in a chair with your bare feet flat on the floor – imagine pulling the energy of the earth up through your feet.
Putting a comfortable chair near a window with the sun coming in – feel the warmth of the sun on your skin while you relax and breathe in the moment.
Plant an indoor garden – tending to the plants and working in the dirt will help connect you back to earth. It will also help to put fresh oxygen back into the air in the house. We have this beautiful symbiotic relationship with the plants. They breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. We breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
Taking a hot bath – water is one of the earth’s elements – it can be extremely relaxing and soothing. If you really want to treat yourself – add some lavender essential oil or some Epsom salts, a bath bomb or some soothing music.
Getting a pedicure – this is more about the experience than the outcome. If you go somewhere that includes a lower leg massage, foot massage (especially if it includes some reflexology – working out the crystals/tight spots in your feet) - this can be very rejuvenating and grounding.
Hibernating – sometimes it helps to not be so hard on ourselves – in the Spring, the world comes alive with new leaves, grasses, flowers and new growth; throughout the summer the fruits and vegetables come on with the harvest in late summer and fall. During the winter, the earth rests. It is a good time for us to do the same – get caught up on some reading, finish those projects you don’t have time to do in the summer like:
Photo albums
Crocheting
Reading next to a fireplace
Deep clean that closet whose clutter has been driving you crazy
Take a trip. Go somewhere warm and lay on the beach or go to the mountains and enjoy some cross-country skiing
See that movie everyone has been telling you about.
Maybe this is a good time of year to change our pace and follow the Earth’s example. Allow yourself to have seasons in your life.
Years ago, I lost an 8-month-old daughter. She died in my arms sitting in a hospital room due to some mistakes the doctors had made. I didn’t know how to handle it – the pain and guilt were too hard to bear. I felt guilty for taking her to the hospital, allowing this to happen and the pain of losing her was just too much. For a year after her death, I ran hard enough and fast enough to not think or feel. I started taking local college classes, I began remodeling the house, I made 45 pairs of flannel pajamas for Christmas. Multiple times throughout that year, I had the thought to ‘be still,’ but I was afraid if I slowed down, I would not be able to bear the grief, so I kept going.
Finally, after a year, I planted a large garden and spent every day working in it. I literally grounded myself in the dirt. I remembered that in Psalms 46:10, it says, “Be still and know that I am God.” As I worked in that garden every day for three months, I was able to ‘be still’- to stop being afraid and anxious, to receive answers to my questions/prayers and to finally become ‘grounded’ again. I basked in the work, the sun, the wind, the feel of the soil, the plants as they grew and thrived - it was a time I will never forget. I have worked in gardens my entire life, but this time was different – it was sacred and restoring.
Incorporating healthy habits and lifestyle choices in our daily life can also help reduce SAD symptoms. Things you might consider would include:
Getting regular exercise
Getting enough sleep
Eating a healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Drinking enough water – staying hydrated
Focus on the positive. I recently read a book entitled Empty Out the Negative by Joel Osteen. In this book he talks about how our soul has room for a limited amount of emotion just like any vessel would have. When we fill our thoughts with negative things like anger, bitterness, hurt feelings, discouragement, etc. - we are allowing these things to take up space which could be filled with joy, happiness, and love. We can’t help what thought come into our minds, but we do have control over what we do with them. Are we going to feed them or let them go?
Seasonal depression/melancholy is a normal emotion, but there are things we can do about it which can change it into something unexpected and positive. Let’s embrace the change rather than falling victim to it.