Protect your sleep Fewer hours of sunlight during the winter months can make it harder to feel awake throughout the day. Staying well rested is critical to making the winter months feel manageable. Tighten up your sleep regimen during this time of the year.
Maintain your physical health
Winter Wellness By Natasha Kubis
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or some people, the chilly winter months embody a heartwarming season, romanticized like a Norman Rockwell painting, with crackling fires, snowshoeing, hot cocoa, and cozy pajamas. For others, the cold weather, gray skies, and lack of sunlight presents a much bleaker reality. Self-care is important year-round but when the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it’s an important tool to combat depression. This type of depression, that appears at the beginning of winter and subsides at the beginning of spring, is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and affects approximately 5% of the population. This year, the dark days of winter are compounded by the relentless pandemic, and it’s more important than ever to redirect our energy toward effective relaxation techniques, constructive activities, and positive thoughts. When we are stressed or depressed during the winter holiday season, it can be quite tempting to devour a bag of cookies, have that extra glass (or bottle) of wine, spend too much money on holiday presents, or neglect our sleep and wellness needs. 10
thesofiamagazine.com | December 2020
Here are some winter wellness strategies to make the season a little bit more manageable.
Get sunlight Do your best to get outside once a day. Winter days are shorter, which means there’s less light. Try to take advantage of the sunlight, whenever possible.
Get a depression screening Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter weather can bring down your mood. Many clinics will offer free screenings that are open to the public. They can also offer resources to help you manage your depression. Talking to a mental health counselor to help us sort out our worries can be helpful, and often necessary. You can also reach out to a volunteer crisis counselor by texting 741741.
Stay Hydrated Most of us drink more coffee or tea during the winter months to keep warm. However, these beverages, plus the dry weather, are a recipe for serious dehydration. Be conscious that you’re drinking enough water to keep your body well hydrated. Eight glasses of water a day is standard.
Physical health is important for maintaining good mental health. With the winter weather preventing us from exercising outside and COVID-19 preventing us from going to gyms, look for things you can do inside, like yoga, or walking on a treadmill. The pandemic has made online classes more accessible than ever before. Most studios are offering online classes to their students, which is a great way to keep regularity in your routine, while supporting your local studio.
Keep making plans with people The pandemic has also made it more difficult to spend physical time with our loved ones, which is particularly hard around the holidays, but that doesn’t mean we can’t schedule a phone or video call. I have friends that have had game nights, holiday parties, birthday parties, even baby showers, all through online platforms.
Bake some sweet but healthy seasonal treats There is nothing more comforting than turning on the oven during the cold weather, and filling your home with the sweet aromas of cookies, pies, and muffins. Try putting a healthy spin on one of your most beloved and classic desserts. Check out my recipe for a healthy apple crumble.
Go for wholesome foods It’s that time of year when you’ll be tempted with sugary, empty-calorie treats, but to be your happiest, most energetic self, it’s best to eat a bal-
