Lifting the Blues

There's a lot in our lives and in the world that causes worry and additional stress for many of us. We don't always have a choice about what we must confront or face. Feelings can seem out of control, even as we do our best to get a handle on the events in our lives.

Seasonal affective disorder, or the lack of natural sunlight, leads many of us to feel depressed and lacking energy or enthusiasm. Known as the 'winter blues', it can sneak up on you and take hold if you're not prepared.

When everything seems uncontrollable, what's important to remember is the energy and response we bring to those situations and to our feelings.

How we respond and the amount of energy we expend can make a difference in how we're feeling.

Here are some other suggestions to banish the blues:

1. Shift Your Focus

What you think about affects how you feel. If you catch yourself thinking about unresolved problems or are caught up on a worrying jag, give it a rest. Instead, focus on something that brings pleasure to your heart and mind. These are reminders of the good and the beautiful in our lives, even if they're short-lived.

Play it up and downplay the stress. It's not avoidance to temporarily lift you to another more pleasant place or state of mind. You'll return to the challenges with more creative ideas and a better capacity to think clearly.

2. Exercise Your Mood

Boost your mood by including exercise, even if the roads and streets are slippery and wet. Transfer your outdoor exercise routine indoors or start a routine to elevate your mood. Even fifteen minutes can go a long way to lift your spirits.

You've heard it so often before about the importance of exercise, and still can't seem to get off the couch. Enlist a friend to share exercise time with you. Use the Wei with your kids or partner and engage in quality family time and mood lifting simultaneously.

Sluggish energy can be shifted by moving. Any movement will make you feel better. Start off with slow stretching if you need to ease into it. Your immune system will be positively affected as well as your emotions.

3. Talk It Over

Talking over what's bothering you is a great way to release the pent up emotions that plague you. Sharing your feelings can help to resolve them. The other person also feels good because they've helped out. Just don't use your friends as verbal punching bags, value the shared conversation and time together.

Conversing is not just good for the soul and mood; it's recently been proven to help with your mental alertness and your memory.

4. Energize with Food

Our bodies respond to what we put in them which also affects our mood. Comfort foods don't have to be eliminated completely. However, do consider including different choices. Do switch over to foods that support your mood like complex carbohydrates which are also brain enhancers and be mindful of the season.

In the winter, our bodies need foods that provide warmth like winter squashes and root vegetables and healthy grains. Do you know that some foods can make you spacey, forgetful and unable to concentrate?

So if you're working at a project or paper and seem to be mentally going around in circles, reduce the sugar in your diet. Are you walking around impatient, angry or frustrated more often than not? Go easy on the salt and meat in your diet and feel better.

You can make a difference in how you feel by acting on these suggestions. You'll feel more in charge and more able to handle the season and whatever comes your way.

This article was written by Dr. Jo Anne White. To get more great advice from Diva Toolbox Media Diva Dr. Jo Anne White, visit her website at: http://www.drjoannewhite.com