You do your best to stay positive. To look at the silver linings and make the best out of your situation, but there are times when you may feel run down and sad, sometimes with no explanation at all. It’s times like these, especially during the late Fall and Winter months, when you may experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, better known as SAD. Coupled with the lingering effects of the pandemic, this could be a recipe for the winter blues. How do you climb out of those feelings? Here are nine ways to walk away the winter blues and feel more like yourself again.
Turn your face to the sun. Sure, daylight hours and sunshine are at a minimum in the Winter months, but getting in a walk in natural light does wonders for helping boost your mood. A walk in sunshine fires up your happiness hormones—endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin—leaving you feeling, well, just downright happier!
Phone a friend. There’s nothing better than connecting with a friend, and doing so while on a walk is a great way to forge that connection while getting your legs moving. Not only is it meditative, but the increased oxygen and blood flow helps you communicate more clearly and listen more carefully. According to this Tedx Talk by 99 Walks Co-Founder Joyce Shulman, women who regularly walk with their friends are 2.5 times less likely to be lonely.
Find time in nature. Don’t just wait for the sun to shine to get out for a walk because studies have shown that a walk in nature can lift your spirits. Not only does a walk through the trees and fields decrease stress, but it actually helps you rephrase your thinking, turning negative thoughts into positive. It might even help you become a kinder person as this study found where people behave more ethically after experiencing a feeling of awe when exposed to a beautiful, natural setting.
Allow yourself to wander. Sometimes you need a way to work through your thoughts and feelings. To process why you’re feeling the way you do. But finding that clarity as you go through the whirlwind of the day usually doesn’t happen. So, try taking a walk. As your legs and feet fall into a steady rhythm, your mind has an opportunity to wander and think. You’ll find a new sense of perspective can really flip the switch on how you’re feeling.
Get enough sleep. When you feel rested, you have the ability to act and react more positively throughout your day, helping you kick that cranky SAD feeling to the curb. According to research reported by Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep, there is solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality. And it doesn’t have to be long. Just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise—like walking—can improve the quality of that night’s sleep.
Get out and walk. Your energy may seem like it sunk to the bottom of the barrel, but taking a walk can actually re-energize you and give you the momentum to thrive through your day. Sure, those first steps will be the hardest, but you’ll find that you’ll have more energy at the end of a walk than when you started. In fact, a study from the University of Georgia showed that “sedentary people who regularly complain of fatigue can increase their energy levels by 20 percent and decrease their fatigue by 65 percent by engaging in regular, low intensity exercise.
Stretch and breathe. Stretch your arms above your head and take a deep breath. Really let the fresh air and oxygen fill your lungs and soothe your soul. Go ahead, we’ll wait. Yep, adding stretching and focused breathing to your movement, while you’re out walking or even moving from room to room at home, opens up your airways and helps calm your mind.
Lose yourself in meditation. You don’t have to be sitting in a quiet, dark room to meditate. Taking a walking meditation can be the game changer you need to remind yourself that you are strong, worthy, and capable of working through any obstacles you may be facing. It’s also a great time to practice gratitude and see all of the beauty around you. Check out the walking meditations led by Coach Jillie in the 99 Walks app every week.
Give yourself a pat on the back. As human beings, we are wired to crave and love accomplishment. Completing a walk gives you a sense of satisfaction, especially when you track your walks and see those miles add up. So when the doldrums of winter find your motivation lacking, just putting one foot in front of the other can seriously turn things around.
There’s no doubt that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing. It can creep in when you're least expecting it, and really put a damper on your day. But, as you can see, walking provides many healing and mood-boosting benefits, just the answer you need to lift your spirits. So, next time SAD gets you down, take a walk. You just might find a smile on your face at the end.
And though walking is an amazing natural mood lifter, if you are finding yourself experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder more often than not, it may be time to seek the help of a professional.
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