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Love+War

HOW TO BEAT THE MOST DEPRESSING DAYS OF THE YEAR

HOW TO BEAT THE MOST

DEPRESSING DAYS OF THE YEAR

Emily Main-  Contributor

April may be the cruelest month, but January seems to take the cake for being the most depressing. Post-holiday letdown turns into failed New Year's resolutions, which are exacerbated by short days, long nights, bad weather, and holiday credit card bills. This kind of low-level winter depression seems to be a seasonal fact of life. "It's very common for people to get down during long winter months," says Dawn LaFrance, Psy.D., associate director of the Counseling Center at Colgate University in upstate New York. "And while January seems bad, February can be bad, too. People keep waiting for spring, and winter just keeps going."

There's a difference between a winter funk and the more severe condition, seasonal affective disorder, says LaFrance, the latter of which is characterized by clinical depression, anxiety, and changes in weight. "The difference is usually seen in the severity and intensity of symptoms," she says. "It's OK to cry, but are you crying for three days straight?" She adds that winter blues usually last a couple of days, at the end of which you can find something to be happy about or some pleasure in your life.

Gary Malone, M.D., medical director and chief of psychiatry at Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, adds that serious symptoms, such as rapid changes in weight and sleeping more than nine hours a day or less than five, are signs of a more serious disorder. "You do need medication when you become so depressed that you can't function on a daily basis," he says.

For anyone dealing with a simple bout of winter funk, the best coping mechanisms are simple steps like eating right, exercising, and not focusing too much on the weather outside:

1: Try to pinpoint what is getting you down.

You may automatically assume it's the weather or the shorter days, but some of your misery may be attributable to cultural factors. "A week ago Monday was a very depressing day here in Texas because the Cowboys lost in the playoffs," says Dr. Malone. It may seem trivial, he says, but psychiatrists have written papers on the effect of sports-team losses on the cultural psyche. Or it could be as simple as those holiday bills, says LaFrance. "Stress from finances can play into that a lot," she says, "particularly with the economic problems people are having right now." Depression really depends on the individual, Dr. Malone adds, and once you figure out what's getting you down, you're better able to cope or improve your circumstances.

2: Don't let your mood dictate your plans.

If you're in a funk, it's important to keep up your social contacts, says Dr. Malone. People generally make plans with friends when they're feeling good, and then cancel those plans when they feel down—which, he says, will just make you feel worse. "Of course, you want to keep a balance, and you don't want to go out every night. But if you find yourself getting depressed and withdrawing from your friends, pay attention to that," he says. "Sitting in a dark house watching TV isn't good for anybody." Push yourself to keep your social obligations even if you'd rather hibernate. And, adds LaFrance, tell a friend that you need someone to help you through this time of year. Have that person check in more often, if need be, to keep your spirits up.

3: Watch your diet.

"It's harder to eat healthy in the winter," says LaFrance, "and people eat more carbs, which just weigh them down." Carbohydrate cravings can be a symptom of the more severe seasonal affective disorder, but when you look at most of what we define as "comfort foods"—macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, lasagna, chicken and dumplings—they're pretty carb-heavy. Carbs prey upon our brain's pleasure sensors, says Dr. Malone, which makes them enticing. But, at the same time, they can slow you down and make you feel lethargic. Work more organic fruits and vegetables into your diet, cooking up winter greens or using frozen fruits to make a post-workout smoothie. And find restaurants with healthy menus. "In the wintertime people eat out more—because you're stuck inside," says Dr. Malone, but with restaurants' high-fat fare, all that dining out could add up to weight gain, which will exacerbate your winter funk after you realize you've failed at that resolution to drop 30 pounds.

Happy Holidays!

Emily Main

DO MORE PEOPLE BREAK UP BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS?

DO MORE PEOPLE BREAK UP BEFORE 

THE HOLIDAYS?

Marcos V-  Host / Commentator  

Be honest: the most exciting part of your Facebook news feed is the little broken heart followed by a “[friend's name here] is now single.” We get almost a sadistic pleasure out of wondering where and who and why and what went wrong.

Similarly, Facebook notifications often are the final nail in a break up coffin. Feuding couples on the verge of ending often hold out on making it public so as to not look wishy-washy, so when they finally decide to pull the plug on Facebook, you know there is something going down. This must have been the thought process the chart connoisseurs at Business Insider had when they decided to pull the valuable stats about break ups from Facebook to give us this great representation of breakups throughout the year.

The results are pretty compelling, right?!

As you can see, break ups peak during two times of year: spring break, and the weeks preceding Christmas. Many people have been making the joke that “no one wants to buy presents!” and as funny as that comment is, we think there is more behind the numbers… so how can we change this miserably depressing stat? Well, I have a few ideas…

1) If you say “let’s not do presents,” mean it.

2) Spend time, not money

3) Be understanding, it’s a stressful time of year!

4) Don’t let your family drama spill into your relationship

There is no secret to a lasting relationship. People change and grow apart, they make mistakes and realize that maybe life isn’t as perfect as your honeymoon stage makes it seem. But follow your common sense and be compassionate, and your relationship can make the distance!

What are you gonna do?  Drop a Comment below...

Warm Hearts,

Marcos V