Embracing Springtime and Making Changes
Have you noticed the sunlight later in the day? Have you seen the buds returning to the tree branches? Have you smelled the flowers that are beginning to blossom? All of these signs point to one conclusion: spring is here.
Spring is not just about the end of winter. Spring is about new opportunity. Spring is a new chance to modify what you did not like about fall and winter.
In the colder months, the odds are stacked against you with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The lack of light impacts your circadian rhythms, your serotonin and your melatonin levels. These three have a bearing on your mood, sleep and energy levels.
To compound the issues, problems arise in the winter due to dangerous transportation conditions, less opportunity for physical activity and fewer prospects for socialization since people tend to stay inside where they are safe and warm.
Now the snow has melted and new flurries no longer fall. It is a time to reverse the negative momentum and make life whatever you want it to be. Gone are the excuses of the winter. In spring, you have the power to change.
There is one hurdle to jump over, though. Your depression continues to stand between you and where you want to go. Your depression zaps your energy and takes your motivation.
Worse than that, it makes you believe that whatever you try will be a sure failure. Depression negatively influences your self-esteem making your think your abilities are incapable of making change.
Spring is still your best bet, because many people with depression have a seasonal component to it. This means that symptoms flare in the winter and alleviate partially in the spring and summer. The conditions might not be optimal, but they might be as good as they are going to get. The rest is up to you.
Get Outside
One of greatest strategies for improving your depression in the spring is to get outside. Seeing the world transform as it changes from grey to green provides a hugely positive psychological benefit. If spring can make the entire world find new energy and life, surely it can do the same for you, no matter your level of depression.
Getting outside is step one. The next aspect to consider is what you are going to do now that you are in the fresh air. Depression has a way of reducing your creativity and imagination making it harder to find your own solutions. Do you want to make this spring the time to change your life? Here’s how.
