Seasonal Affective Disorder is a condition where your health and wellbeing are adversely affected by the change of season. It is something that I am quite aware of - being in a dramatic change of season up here in the cold (now officially blowing snow) North. Side note- what is it about snow that makes you want to rush home and surround yourself with blankets and heap hygge upon hygge? This dramatic change of season may affect you in big ways- cause depression, weight gain, mood swings ect. or it may affect you in little ways - the urge to eat more carbs, sleep more, and just plain ol' irritability. You don't have to be diagnosed with S.A.D. to realize that the changing season affects you. And luckily you don't have to be diagnosed to put into practice seasonal routines to help your mind and body transition to this cold slow time of the year.
One thing we can do is mind what we eat. Yes it is Halloween and I am trying my best to ignore the urge to comsume all of the delicious chocalate, but in all seriousness despite all the Holiday pull to continously eat, we must be wary that our diet will very much affect our mood. Hygge can help our diet in the sense that it makes us mindful of what we are eating and make sure we enjoy the pleasure of eating and not just scarf down meals to comfort our cold bodies.
Another thing we can do is add light. This can be lamps, candles, or surrounding ourself with bright colors. This is another way Hygge is so important this time of year. Hygge invites the warmth and light into the dreary dark days and it encourages us to look at the light and see the brightness that lies in it.
One last thing we can do is to get outside. Yes, this is extremely hard given the fact we have the urge to curl up inside. But what makes the inside of our Hygge home so much more Hygge is going outside breathing in the cold air awakening our sense to come inside and more fully enjoy our happy Hygge home.
It's ok to be overwhelmed and slow. It's ok to feel sluggish. It's ok to want to eat all the food in the house. To help us get through this transition of seasons, let us lean in to our Hygge homes. Join me as I light a candle and prepare a hot cup of something...and don't forget to go for a brisk walk.
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