Q&A
How Do You Deal with the
Winter Blues?
W
inter blues is a type of depression that occurs around the same time every
year. While there is no single cause, there are some factors that can lead
up to this form of depression. Shorter, darker, colder days; holiday crowds,
noise and bright lights; changes in schedules and lots of unstructured time; donning
winter clothing such as jackets, scarves and gloves, etc. – all of these things can be huge
physical, emotional and sensory challenges that can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, restless, anxious, irritable, helpless, unenergetic and sad, otherwise known
as the Winter Blues.
We decided to ask some of our autistic experts who ha ve experienced the Winter Blues how they
deal with it. Here is what a few had to say.
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ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
“I’ve used therapy lights to help keep my sleepwake cycles regulated and found a pleasant side
effect of light therapy was that it completely
wiped out my winter blues. If you want to
try, get a bright light and set it facing you but
slightly to the side -- even better if you can get
two lights and put one on each side. Lights on
the side will have less direct glare in your eyes
and are more effective at reaching the retinal
cells that communicate directly with your SCN,
a small part of your brain’s hypothalamus.
Turn them on as soon after waking as possible
and spend at least 30 minutes with your lights
(while eating breakfast is usually just about
right). Caution: if you are prone to mania, ask
your doctor before trying light therapy.”
~Sparrow Rose Jones
“Cold weather and winter brings so many sensory challenges to me that I dread the coming
of the season. I deal with it by making sure that
I have comfortable, warm clothes, especially
a coat that makes me happy and mittens that
don’t bother me. Hats are problematic because
of dry weather and static hair. I’ve found that
a warm headband is really helpful and works
with ponytails to keep that winter hair out of
my way. I also try to make sure my skin doesn’t
get overly dry as that is a sensory trigger for me,
and when I am sensorily dysregulated, I am far
more likely to feel depressed. As for the emotional part, I always feel better when I exercise.
In my case, I run, which is harder in the cold
weather, especially if I’m already feeling down
from winter blues. I try really hard to keep active and to do things with my family instead of
just burrowing into my bed, which feels good,
but ultimately just makes me more depressed.”
~ Jean Winegardner
“I don’t like winter jackets because I feel like I’m
stuck. I’d rather be cold than stuck, so I haven’t
worn one in a long time, which makes my mom
worry all winter! It’s a good compromise to
wear a fleece, or if it’s not quite as cold, a fleece
vest. My arms need to be free to move however
they’d like!”
~Lydia Wayman
“ POPCORN! Seriously I’m not kidding! When
I am feeling rushed or overwhelmed during the
holiday madness or feeling cold and lost on a
snow day off from school, nothing calms me
more then popping some popcorn and watching
a familiar favorite movie. The smell of the popcorn and the warmth of the bowl in my hands
as I sit in MY spot on the couch is comforting.
That’s how I deal with the Winter Blues.”
~ Jacob Fuentes (14yrs old)
“This is a reliable problem, so I’ve learned that
planning out a few months’ worth of distractions can be helpful. It’s not enough to just seek
out books, movies, TV, music. I can get too low
energy to initiate stuff like this. So, before winter
begins, I write out a detailed schedule of distractions and do everything I can to stick to it. I
find ways to keep my mind occupied and, more
importantly, give myself a day-to-day schedule
that tells me exactly what to focus on. This can
often be helpful.”
~M. Kelter
“In the winter I like to decorate my house.
Christmas lights in rainbow colors give a nice
cheerful feeling in the house. Just be sure to read
the packaging to avoid flashing lights!”
~ Karin Gomez
“The darkness and cold are what get to me the
most, so I schedule myself to go out for a short
walk at least once a day, and when the weather
is nice, I make a point to smile with my face in
the sunshine and eyes closed for a few minutes.
A warm bath before going outside into the cold
helps keep muscle tension at bay longer. I also
remind myself to keep extra warm (I tend to
forget) with a sweater, a scarf and wool booties
when indoors. And I make a point to enjoy coziness. I fill a bottle with hot tap water, bring it to
bed and apply it to my back, neck and legs to
relax tense muscles. Warms up the bed, too!”
~Marie Lauzon
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
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