Sarah Warsi

So we know how beautiful Fall is, with the leaves changing colour and the crisp cool feeling in the air, but as we move into November, the darker side of Fall sets in – when you wake up in the dark and leave work in the dark. I find that even though we deal with this every year, it never seems to be easy coping with the severe lack of sunlight.

But over the years, I have found ways to deal with the ‘seasonal depression’, so to speak, that so many of us fall victim to. I share a few tips below that will hopefully help you and others deal with similar anxieties.

Your Mind Matters

The quality of your thoughts is key to not letting the doom and gloom of the shorter days get to you. If you think positive thoughts, then you’ll rarely dwell on the blah-ness of the season. Positive thoughts could be anything from simply thinking ahead to enjoyable plans you might have on the weekend, or that favourite show you are eager to watch when you get home (Stranger Things, anyone?), or the fact that the holiday season is just weeks away. Any thought that uplifts your spirit in some way can be enough to distract you from feeling glum.

Break the Silence

For me personally, I tend to get a heightened sense of paranoia around this time – and I’m assuming it’s because of the lack of sunlight as I do suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD). So training my mind with warm and fuzzy thoughts is that much more important. What also helps in nurturing my anxiety is creating an atmosphere with busyness and healthy noise. In this situation, silence exacerbates my uneasiness, so just simply turning on the TV or putting on some soothing music tends to do the trick and helps distract me from any unsettled feelings.

Get It Out

So the pun here is quite intended – if you love to write, then take some time to write about something that interests you. If you have a blog, post in it. As a blogger, I find it incredibly therapeutic to get my thoughts and feelings out in the open – it really helps put my mind at ease. If you’re not a blogger, then consider calling up a friend to chat. Give yourself a chance to communicate in whatever form that works for you.

Get Those Endorphins Going

I may sound like a broken record, but it’s worth it – an hour or just 20 minutes at the gym, on a treadmill, jogging on the spot, or just engaging in anything active, will do wonders to help keep your mind at ease and your spirits up during the gloomy Fall months.

And a funny side note: I’ve come to realize that if you have a desk at work that isn’t near any windows, it inadvertently helps your mood because you can’t tell how dark and dreary it really is outside.

So don’t fret: you’re not alone when it comes to the Fall blues. The less you focus on it, the faster the feeling will pass.

How do you cope with the Fall blues? Please share your thoughts.

With love,

Sarah