Get the Secrets to Smiling Through Winter

If you found your way here, you’re more aware of how winter affects you than many people. And you know there have to be some things you can do, natural things, that will help you feel better.

It’s just, which things? What works? What doesn’t? What’s safe?

There’s a lot of misinformation on the Internet about how to treat the Winter Blues and SAD, seasonal affective disorder. I have a bunch of Google alerts set up and I see the garbage that passes for informed knowledge everyday. Some of it is downright dangerous.

I have SAD and I beat it. I had to figure out for myself more than 10 years ago how to effectively treat it and it took me at least three winter seasons before I put together the pieces that finally started to work well and helped me feel like my normal, energetic self again.

Fast forward. I’m now a trained health coach and it’s my passion to help people learn how to help themselves through the gray seasons — be it rainy, cloudy springs and autumns, dark winters or perpetually gray climates.

You want to know what works and how to fit it into your life. I get that.

Introducing the Secrets of Beating the Winter Blues

People have a lot of questions about what causes seasonal depression and how to manage it. Questions about dark mornings,  light boxes and light therapy, about tanning beds. Questions on different types of light boxes and what is safe. Searches for real knowledge that really helps.

So here’s what I’ve created:

• A focused, simple way to give you a good grasp of the problem and safe, effective, holistic methods of treating and managing SAD and the winter blues.
• An email newsletter that gives you enough information to begin evaluating your habits and lifestyle to see where you can make changes.
• A guide to help you evaluate what you find on the Internet to determine if it’s hype or fact.

Building your personal plan

If you’ve read any of the posts on The Winter Blues Coach, one theme is constantly repeated: Get enough light. It seems like a basic rule of living, but it’s a bit more complex than many people realize, mainly because we’ve deceived ourselves to believe that technology has trumped nature. The fact that you’re suffering proves it hasn’t.

There are several lessons that walk you through the idea of light deprivation, understanding the role light plays in our systems, evaluating light boxes and determining the one to buy.

You’ll get help doing a self-assessment on whether you may have SAD and you’ll be introduced to the key lifestyle changes that will give you back control of your energy and your life in winter.

Start with Light

Because it works. Eight out of 10 people who use light therapy properly experience relief. It’s an amazing 80 percent success ratio with no drugs required. That’s why light therapy is at the heart of this program and why you’ll learn so much about light deprivation and bright light stimulus.

Some people might be able to make small changes in diet and exercise habits and feel better. It just makes more sense to start with the source — resetting your body clock before you start tweaking secondary factors like diet and exercise.

That’s not to say diet and exercise are not important. They are. But if you can’t get your circadian rhythm reset you won’t have the energy for much more than half-hearted attempts that will likely fail.

Build a new habit

If we can’t migrate and go to the sun, we have to bring the sun to us. That means modifying our morning routines to adapt to light therapy, not always easy with jobs, families and commutes. You’ll get a strategy to structure your morning light treatment so it works with your life, not against it.

Tweak your diet

You’ll learn about carb comas and our hibernation response. You’ll be introduced to a workable eating plan that will give you energy and keep you warm.

Play with exercise

Exercise is the third magic bullet. Not only does it dramatically help seasonal depression, it’s excellent for an overall healthy and active lifestyle. It may be the only thing you need to change.

Shift attitudes and expectations

Small shifts in expectations — of yourself, the season and others — during winter will go a long way toward making the season easier to tolerate — and maybe even fun.

Find support

You don’t have to struggle through winter alone. You’ll find support and assistance to restyle your winters.

Putting the puzzle together

Each of these pieces supports and enhances the effectiveness of the others. And each puzzle will be different for each individual. You may already be exercising and eating well and not need to make big shifts, but may need more support incorporating light into your schedule. Or you may need help shifting all the pieces.

What you need to do next

Enter your email address and country here to sign up for the Secrets of Beating the Winter Blues Email Course:

It’s very important to me that everyone receiving Secrets of Beating the Winter Blues truly wants the course, so I need you to confirm that you want to receive it by clicking a link in an email you’ll receive after signing up.

So check your inbox and put me on your white list, please.

Of course I will never rent, sell, or otherwise share the information you share with me. Not my way of doing business. Promise.

If you know of someone who might benefit from learning more about the winter blues and seasonal depression, feel free to share this link.

Photo courtesy of Marlene Hielema at Image Maven.