Christmas time, for many, is one of the happiest times of year – but not for those who struggle with mental health issues, like depression, anxiety and Season Affective Disorder.
For some people – including the one-in-three (29%) people in the UK who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – Christmas won’t be the “most wonderful time of the year” but the most depressing time of year.
However, Moving Minds, a clinic which is using ground-breaking methods to treat depression in Scotland, has some advice on how we can keep our mental health in check as we approach the festive period.
Isabel Leming, who runs Moving Minds in Glasgow, said: “For some people, depression is more likely to be experienced at this time of year. In fact, 50 per cent of adults reported that their overall mood is worse in winter while 66% of adults feel their mood makes them less active in winter – which is concerning because exercise is a very important mood-boosting activity.”
Read on as Isabel reveals some more things that we should be doing to help us if we feel depressed at Christmas or in winter.
1) Sticking to a routine:
Keeping to a set routine, and getting up at the same time of day, is one of the most important things. This is especially true on the days you feel particularly sad.
Your body clock is important for regulation, so when it is pushed out of sync (when the clocks go back, for example) it is important to get it back into a regular routine.
2) Exercising outside:
Spending time outside during the day when the sun is out, it hugely important because lack of vitamin D from the sunlight is linked to depression.
Even a half-an-hour walk at lunchtime can be a quick mood-boost as it increases the levels of serotonin (a hormone that stabilises our mood and happiness) in the body.
3) Writing a journal:
This is an important one too as we all have a responsibility for managing and keeping our own mental health in check, one way of doing this is by journaling and/or keeping a diary.
Writing down positive affirmations and gratitude lists will help keep you from feeling depressed and you are replacing negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones.
4) Social interaction:
Make sure you have some social events pencilled in your diary. It is so easy not to want to go out in winter, especially if you are feeling depressed, but social interaction is most important – yet it is often the first thing we choose not to do. Spending time talking on the phone can be beneficial, but meeting in person is much more effective.
Isabel explained: “Hugging loved ones is good for mental health. When we hug, oxytocin (the ‘love hormone’) is released and that decreases feelings of loneliness and anxiety, giving us a mood boost, whilst increasing feelings of trust, intimacy and bonding.”
Get yourself out and about – go to a Christmas nightout, but don’t push it. Going with someone you feel comfortable and safe with is key, this will help you get through it. Leave when you want to as it’s about setting boundaries that are right for you.
5) Doing things you enjoy:
Make sure you make time to do things you enjoy this winter. Building a new habit, learning a new skill or integrating a new hobby into your life can be very beneficial for your mental health. Now is a good time to use your extra free time to learn something new, it also boosts self-esteem and confidence and makes people feel better.
6) Getting a free mental health check:
If you have noticed that you are starting to feel very down, then Moving Minds in Glasgow can help pinpoint – and begin to treat – your mental health concerns during a FREE 30-minute mental health check. During the telephone call with Isabel, she will talk to you about any mental health issues you may have experienced in the past and ask how you are feeling now, before making recommendations to help you feel more like yourself again.
Moving Minds treats mental illness using a number of different drug-free treatments and therapies, including the revolutionary Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), which simply stimulates brain cells to boost their function.
To access mental health treatment from Moving Minds you do not need referred by your GP or psychiatrist, you can simply get in touch with the private clinic directly on 0141 538 1644 or emailing: info@moving-minds.uk
