Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Does the winter make you SAD?

Donna Darby-Walthall,
Chief Financial Officer
As we say goodbye to September and move into October, we begin experiencing the change of another season. Fall is my favorite time of year. We get to enjoy the cooler weather and the beautiful colors of the leaves changing on the trees. We enjoy hot chocolate and marshmallows toasted over a fire.

This time of year can also cause a form of depression. Some people begin feeling a change in their mood or behavior and notice a decrease in their energy levels. During this change in mood, they might require more sleep, eat more food and exercise less as the days get shorter. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Individuals who suffer from SAD usually have depressive episodes beginning in late fall and continue through the winter and don’t begin seeing relief until spring arrives.

What can we do to prevent this from happening to us? Exercise is the key ingredient in reducing the symptoms of SAD. When we move around and exercise, we release feel-good endorphins that keep us happy and energized. Now, I know some of us don’t like to exercise, myself included. But, it is very important to our mental and physical health and we have to make it a priority in our daily lives.

I encourage you to join me. Don’t let the winter blues bring you down. Lace up your tennis shoes and start walking your way through the winter.


This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.

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