How to Beat the Winter Blues: Tips for Seniors in Burlington

Written By: Discovery Senior Living
How to Beat the Winter Blues: Tips for Seniors in Burlington

Learn how to beat the winter blues by focusing on diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. Applying these seasonal affective disorder tips can improve your emotional wellness in winter.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, between 10 and 20% of Americans struggle with the winter blues. Severe symptoms, however, may indicate you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD can affect how you think, feel, and behave if you don't seek treatment. 

Before that happens, learn how to beat the winter blues. With these seasonal affective disorder tips, you can improve your emotional wellness in winter. Enhance your mental and physical health while living in Burlington, IA, today!

What Are the Winter Blues?

The winter blues are a mild form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).The weather and lack of sunlight may cause you to feel down or sad. As the weather gets colder and it becomes dark early, symptoms may worsen. 

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression.The changing seasons and resulting lack of sunlight may trigger symptoms.

Winter-pattern SAD usually begins in the late fall. Symptoms may worsen during the peak of winter and may not improve until spring.

According to the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly poll, 38% of Americans experience a low mood during winter. Of those polled, one in five people reports moodiness and loss of interest in activities. Another two-thirds note behavioral changes.

While it's normal to feel a little down during the winter, SAD is more severe than the winter blues. SAD may affect your thoughts and emotions. It can alter behaviors, which may affect your quality of life. 

Though it's less common, people also get a rare form of SAD called summer depression. Symptoms may begin in the late spring and end in the fall. 

What Are the Symptoms of SAD?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, symptoms of SAD may last for 40% of the year. These symptoms often reflect depressive symptoms, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Craving carbs and sugar
  • Weight gain
  • Sadness most of the day, almost every day, for at least two weeks
  • Feeling agitated or irritated
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Extreme fatigue or lack of energy
  • Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
  • Social withdrawal
  • Limbs feeling heavy
  • Oversleeping

Consult a mental healthcare professional if you experience these symptoms. They'll determine if you have SAD or another mental health condition. Failing to seek treatment may result in complications, including:

  • Other mental health disorders (anxiety, eating disorders, etc.)
  • Substance abuse
  • School or work problems
  • Social withdrawal

How to Beat the Winter Blues

Don't let the winter weather bring you down. Instead, use these seasonal affective disorder tips to improve mental health for seniors.

Spend Time in Nature

Brighten your day by opening your curtains or stepping outside. Sunlight exposure will send a strong signal to your internal clock. This can help you maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Try going for a walk outside. Spending time in nature may improve your overall well-being. 

Adjust Your Diet

Try to cut carbohydrates and sweets from your diet. These foods can trigger inflammation, affecting your mental and physical health.

Instead, find nutritious dishes through your senior living community's dining program. Eating nutritious foods can ease inflammation and potentially improve your mood. 

Work Up a Sweat

Enjoy fun exercise classes through your senior living community's fitness program. Working up a sweat can boost serotonin and dopamine production, which influence your mood.

Ask friends to join you for classes, such as:

  • Tai chi
  • Yoga
  • Pilates
  • Aerobics
  • Indoor swimming or water aerobics
  • Stretching
  • Weight lifting
  • Resistance training

Embrace the Assisted Living Lifestyle

Look for a community that offers assisted living lifestyle programs and memory care engagement. Their services may ease stress, improving your well-being and quality of life. 

Explore your community's events and activities calendar to add fun to your routine. Spending time with friends may uplift your mood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Treatments for SAD?

Common treatments for SAD include:

  • Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Light therapy
  • Vitamin D supplements
  • Spending time outdoors

CBT may help reduce the recurrence and remission of SAD. It helps patients replace negative thoughts and behaviors with more positive ones. This treatment option may help you cope with the winter weather and navigate your symptoms. 

Light therapy involves sitting in front of a device that emits 10,000 lux of light (20 times brighter than indoor lighting). It works effectively as a supplementary treatment for depressive disorders.  

The lack of sunlight during winter may trigger your symptoms. Sunlight exposure aids the body's natural production of vitamin D. Vitamin D can boost serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that's associated with mood.

If your vitamin D levels are low, your doctor may recommend supplements. Don't add supplements to your routine without informing a doctor of medications or supplements you already take to avoid interactions.

Who Is At Risk of SAD?

Potential risk factors for seasonal affective disorder include:

  • Living far north or south of the equator
  • Having another mood disorder
  • Gender (it's more common in women)
  • Having relatives with SAD or other mental health conditions
  • Living in cloudy regions

Doctors aren't sure of SAD's exact cause. They believe the lack of sunlight during cold weather months acts as a trigger.This may result in:

  • A brain chemical imbalance
  • A vitamin D deficiency
  • Changes to your biological clock
  • Increased melatonin

Consult a mental healthcare professional if you believe you're at risk of SAD. Since it follows a seasonal pattern, the onset is predictable. You can take a preventive approach to managing your symptoms. 

Improve Emotional Wellness in Winter

Don't let the winter weather affect your health or well-being. Instead, learn how to beat the winter blues to improve your emotional wellness in winter. Applying these strategies can benefit your mental and physical wellness, potentially improving your well-being and quality of life. 

You can find more health resources through your senior living community. Addington Place of Burlington offers a warm, inviting feel that creates a sense of belonging.

Enjoy our gardens and outdoor areas, wellness center, and chef-prepared homestyle dining. Otherwise, join friends in cooking sessions and musical performances under the stars. Contact us now to schedule your tour.

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