Around this time of year, many people are thinking more negatively. They shut down and it affects their lives. Not everyone reacts the same in these times— everyone acts differently! One thing for certain though… It’s the disappearance of the sun’s fault. Maybe not entirely, but it does have a massive effect. Did you know that Michigan is in the top 10 states with the height rates of seasonal depression? It is ranked 8th! What can we do about this though? Let me tell you the ways we can feel at least the slightest bit better when we’re down in the blues around this gloomy time.
- Talk to your doctor.
It’s important to speak to your doctor about stuff like this, especially if it’s affecting you really badly. It can be any type of doctor too, like your therapist, nutritionist, psychiatrist, or just your regular doctor. They can help you out around these times to help you get back on your feet and keep moving forward!
- Try journaling.
Journaling isn’t for everyone, so you’re not required to do this. Take me for example! I did a project based on my seasonal depression, and I was going to journal every day for it! It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to because I felt like it was a chore for me. I didn’t like it. Journaling for me just… didn’t work. However, I’ve heard from classmates that it helps them. So try it out yourself! Write about the pros and cons of your day and take information from that! Use it to your advantage.
- 3 Cs method.
Now you may be really confused about what this is. It’s a form of self-talk treatment that I’ve recently learned about and I want to teach you about it. An assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine by the name of Dr. Vassilopoulos created this method for whenever you had a negative thought. It mainly revolves around sleep, but it can also be taken in day-to-day life.
The 3 Cs stand for Catching (acknowledge your thoughts), Checking (“is this really necessary?”), and Changing (make your thought more positive!).
Let’s try this out with an example. Exams are coming up, you’re stressing out, and you haven’t been paying attention lately. You think “I’m gonna fail my exams because of how lazy and pathetic I’m being. I’m gonna have to retake this class again.”
Let’s catch it! “Oh hey, I’m having this bad thought.”
Check it. “Is this true? No. Is this necessary? No. Will this get me anywhere? No.”
Change it. “Well since this isn’t a true statement, I can’t be sure that I’m going to ‘fail’ my exams. I just have to use my resources and study so I can have a better understanding of what I’m doing. I can do this.”
There are many different ways to make yourself feel better in these rough times, for these are only mere examples. If there’s a certain way that you deal with these feelings, then please, use them. But also be sure to try something new. After a bit, it may not work as well as it used to, so try to switch things up!
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