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Battle Seasonal Affect Disorder with a run

sad face happy faceIf you have read some of my previous posts, you’ve found me bemoaning my lack of energy and motivation as winter draws near. I tried to make light of it, but in truth I find it more difficult than ever to go out for a daily run, as I’ve been doing for years. It turns out I’m far from alone in feeling this way. ‘Tis the season for the “winter blues” and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Here are some from the long list of symptoms of SAD, according to a very helpful article on Mayo Clinic’s web site:

Irritability
Tiredness or low energy
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Having difficulty concentrating
Problems getting along with other people
Hypersensitivity to rejection
Heavy, “leaden” feeling in the arms or legs
Oversleeping
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain

About 20 per cent of the population in North America suffers from SAD. It’s a type of depression related to changes in seasons. It most commonly starts in the fall and lasts through the winter months. It can also start in late spring and last through the summer, but that type of SAD is much less common.

It’s not exactly clear what’s causing seasonal affective disorder, but scientists point to three possible factors:

  • Decrease in sunlight during the winter months which may disrupt our body’s circadian rhythm (our biological clock)

  • Drop in serotonin levels, which is a brain chemical that affects mood

  • Drop in levels of melatonin, a hormone which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood

Where we live also seems to matter: people who live far from the equator to the north or the south are more affected by SAD than those who live close to the equator. Women are more often diagnosed with SAD than men and have more severe symptoms. The good news, sort of, is that as we age, we are less prone to suffer from SAD than young people.

In extreme cases, the winter blues may lead to the symptoms of major depression such as suicidal thoughts or behaviour, social withdrawal, school or work problems or substance abuse. Needles to say, if you notice any of those in yourself or someone close to you, seek medical help.

The medical remedies are light therapy, psychotherapy and medications. The most interesting of the three is the light therapy, where you sit a few feet from a special light therapy box which exposes you to bright light. Light therapy mimics natural outdoor light and seems to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood.

There are things we can do at home to help or prevent the symptoms of SAD – make it brighter and sunnier, which means pull away those heavy curtains and let the light flood into the room. At work, try to move closer to the window, or if there isn’t a window near you, take frequent breaks and spend them in the bright window-lit space.

Whenever it’s possible, go outside. During the lunch break, take a walk outside or even start running at lunch. And, just so you know, walking in a shopping mall doesn’t count.

The main thing the doctor will tell you if you’re diagnosed with SAD is to exercise regularly. So, keep running, and it will make you feel better. And, for the maximum effect run outdoors.

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