It's That Time Of Year: Let's Turn Your SAD Into Happy

It's That Time Of Year: Let's Turn Your SAD Into Happy
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“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” – Maya Angelou

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Single? Cuffing? Your status doesn’t matter come wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere, because the cold doesn’t discriminate. It gets you to the bones. The wind blows in your face. Rosy cheeks are cute, sure, but I’d rather have them from a tropical sun-kiss over the blustering wind any day.

Still, I’m not complaining. Complaining gets you nowhere — makes you even colder, in fact.

Let’s conquer whatever degree of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) you’re struggling with and make this season a bright one!

Here are five strategies you can use to improve your daily routine and perspective:

1. Rise with the sun.

Waking up at sunrise, regardless of the forecast, is a super healthy practice. Our tech-reliant culture has steered us away from the natural rhythm of going to bed with the moon and waking up with the sun. More than once I’ve tossed about the line “It should be illegal to have to wake up before 5:59am.” Little did I realize that one day I would want to. After only three mornings of setting the alarm to an earlier time, did I find myself stirring awake and actually moving out of bed minutes before the alarm would ring.

The combination of waking up pre-dawn and using this time for exercise has reinforced my natural circadian rhythm. A person’s circadian rhythm, or internal biological clock, is controlled by an area of the brain that responds to light. If you make a practice of getting moving before the sun, then you can harness all the energy in its rising. Rise with the sun, and you’ll see how your mood and productivity levels will rise too! Plus you’ll enjoy the eye candy of pinks and blues painted across the morning sky.

2. Reassess your diet and nutrition.

Not talking about weight loss here. I trust you know if your body’s in good shape or not, and I fully embrace the rocking your own body composition movement. Who doesn’t want hips to hold onto? I’m talking about the foods you’re grabbing onto when those cravings kick-in. Are they sugary snacks that are only going to make you crave more sugary snacks that have no nutritional benefits for your beautiful body and mind? Or are you going to check out a bag of those apples and leafy greens to get the vitamins you’re missing out on from a lack of sun-rays?

It’s a busy holiday season full of deadlines, events and parties. All the more reason to consciously slow down and enjoy the moment! Sip the wine. Taste the chocolate. Sneak a pear off the partridge’s tree and feed yourself well.

3. Raise your ambition.

I’m a firm believer there are no limits to the human capacity for thinking, feeling and doing. The only limits are those we set for ourselves. Until the 6th century BC, humanity was limited to perceiving the world as flat. Until 1954, humanity was limited to a four minute mile barrier. Until someone believes in his or her potential to reach beyond those standards, the limits are set. Life, however, is not a set thing. It’s ever-changing.

You are allowed to change your standards, your goals, your dreams, your life.

When it gets cold and dark outside, it’s easy to settle on the couch for hours of tv and say you’ve done enough for the day. You know those moments you think you’ve done enough? That’s when the people who achieve their dreams do more. Reinvigorate your life this season by raising the bar. Work hard. Aim higher.

4. Remember to give thanks.

There’s a key difference between “saying thanks” and “giving thanks”. To speak thanks is a beautiful word in itself. To give thanks is putting our gratitude in action. As the proverb goes, actions speak louder than words.

How often do we give of what we have to those who have not?

It’s a wonderful deed to make a donation to the nearest charity, but we can also look for everyday ways to help others. Waving hello to someone can be as much a gift as any donation. You have one chance to spend the gift of your breath of life. Try to consider more of what you’re giving than what you’re getting this holiday season. Try to look at the world with kinder eyes. You are so blessed.

5. Read a book (or at least a quote).

How’s an old soul for a new perspective? I’m going to let the incomparable Maya Angelou throw down some truth for you on this one. Preach, girl:

Regardless of the weather, location, or your relationship status, every season of your life is worth living — and living to the fullest! All you ever have is this moment. It’s wild, beautiful and new. Even when the world seems darkest, keep looking for the little happy moments twinkling around you. A snowflake. A smile. A steaming mug of peppermint tea. Sooner than you know it, the first cherry blossom of spring will catch your eye. That’s the cycle of life. All things are passing. Even you. Even me. Which isn’t meant to scare you, like the darkness, it’s meant to awaken you to shine a light.

What makes you laugh? Who do you love? Why are you alive? If you ask yourself these questions every morning and go after the answers every day with all your heart, then you’ll snuggle into those blankets feeling happy and satisfied every night.

Don’t wait for next year. The time is now. Give. Give. Give it all you got.

May your days be happy and bright!

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