Walking through the school parking lot in the morning with chilling winds whipping across your face and cloudy skies blocking out the warm sun is miserable, especially knowing you are going to wake up to these temperatures for the next few months.
Nebraska winters are brutal with limited sunlight and freezing temperatures which cause people to be unable to enjoy outdoor activities and stuck at home. When people aren’t able to go out with friends and are held indoors, this makes them feel unproductive and overall pretty down. For this reason, it’s important for everyone to know ways to combat these winter depression feelings. There are numerous ways one can be active and productive even when it’s too freezing to go outside.
Many studies from the Mayo Clinic have shown that exercise decreases feelings of anxiousness and depression. Regular physical activity is very beneficial not only to one’s physical health but also their mental health. If lifting weights or running isn’t your thing, even walking around an indoor track will help keep you moving and give you something to do rather than rot in a bed all day. Laying in bed for several hours or “bed rotting” can be very harmful for your mental and physical health and can cause stress, depression, aches and bed sores. These side effects can have a huge impact on how you feel for the day.
“Going to the gym really decreases stress from a long day and gives you something to look forward to,” senior Joey Tran said. “It also helps your body physically which is always a plus.”
Exercise, even if it is just a walk around the block, can help improve mental health and mood. If it is too chilly to walk outside, take a drive around town to just get out of the house.
Another vital aspect to combat winter depression symptoms is the substances you put in your body. When a person takes vitamin D supplements during the winter, it helps improve their mood since the body doesn’t get nearly enough it needs in the winter because the sun is always being clouded away.
“Taking vitamin D during the winter is great for you,” science teacher Dan Dishcler said, “Also, getting a light therapy lamp or occasionally going to a tanning bed would help you get the light your body needs.”
If you are going to a tanning bed for light exposure, it’s important to limit use to bi-weekly because it can lead to cancer.
High-quality foods protect your brain from oxidative stress, which is the “waste” produced when a body uses oxygen. This production of stress can damage cells in your body so eating foods that are nourishing and contain many antioxidants can boost your mood and your immune system.
“Eating healthy is definitely important to me to make sure that I feel good all day and not feel dragged down,” senior Lilly Loghery said.
Being cold with freezing temperatures during the winter and having goosebumps is a common occurrence. Constantly being cold causes your brain to not function properly, resulting in short-term memory, selective attention and depression symptoms. Investing in a heated blanket or putting a heater in your room will ultimately improve mental health and make you feel better.
“I use my heated blanket every morning when I get ready and it helps me get out of bed at a decent time to start the day,” senior Mikayla Baker said.
Throwing a couple blankets in your car for driving in the morning or wearing a pair of leggings underneath sweatpants increases your body temperature. Keeping your body warm is an important aspect to improving your mood in the winter months. So do not be afraid to layer on some blankets and turn on the fireplace!
Unlike most years, it has warmed up very quickly for mid February making it close to the all-time high weather temperature for Omaha this time of the year. With the weather getting warmer already, now more people can do outside activities and get their daily dose of vitamin D.
“Summer always makes me feel so much better because it’s warm and I can go out and have fun,” senior Delaney Michael said.
Hopefully, the weather stays warm but if it drops down again, apply some of the above tips to your everyday life, so you don’t let yourself get down about the chilly weather.
