How to Manage SAD Naturally

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder affects mostly women and is found primarily in the northern climates during the late fall and winter. It's caused by a lack of seratonin in our brain and creates a feeling of sadness and depression. Often the lack of light and sun are the main causes.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Light box
• Sunlight

1. No matter how cold the weather gets, if its a sunny day get outside and let the sun shine on you, if only for 10 to 15 minutes. Sunshine triggers the production of Vitamin D which, in turn, triggers the production of seratonin in our brains. There is no magical pill for seratonin.

2. Oftentimes taking a good B Complex will help immensely. If we have a lack of B vitamins the boost that a B Complex gives is often just enough to give us back our "feel good" mentality.

3. Provided your doctor approves try St. John's Wort. Many doctors prefer a mild tranquilizer or a mood lifter, St. John's Wort can accomplish the same goal. It's widely used in Europe.

4. Get some exercise. No matter if you go to a gym, watch an exercise DVD or take dancing lessons just get some exercise. Being a couch potato all winter long is the easiest to allow ourselves, its sure not doing us any favors. All it will do is create more feelings of lethargy, overeating, sadness and tiredness which are all symptoms of SAD.

5. If by any chance, your SAD becomes unmanageable get yourself to a doctor. It can become serious and will need medical care.

Tips & Warnings

• Get an inexpensive lightbox.
• Stay social, mingle with friends.
• Take a walk, build a snowman if you have snow or take a trip to a warm climate if you're able to do so.
• If you get feelings that you want to hurt yourself or someone else get to the doctor.
• Overeating can create more problems down the road.

[Shamana]

on 12/2/2008 Thanks for visiting my blog. You sure do have beautiful grandkids. Your dog is so cute too.

[blaquetweety64]

on 12/2/2008 Interesting!!! 5*