UR IT Magazine - Issue #38 (2016)

Keeping warm
Keeping yourself warm is a MUST in
the winter! When your body is cold your
heart has to go into overdrive in an attempt
to keep you warm. This strain increases
the risk of heart attack, especially for those
who have health complications. Your body
has to work hard during the cold months to
keep you from freezing. When this happens
your immune system can be compromised.
A lowered immune system means you can’t
fight off sickness and diseases. Autumn and
winter are difficult on people who have
arthritis and similar diseases. Being cold
can increase your pain and simple tasks
become harder to do.
Your physical health can greatly influence
your mental health and vise-versa. Taking
care of both your body and mind is
essential for your well-being.
Staying social
Most of us want to stay inside and
hide from the cold during the winter. This
makes for a drop in social events and the
quality of your relationships. Whether
we want to admit it or not, we are social
creatures that need interaction with others
to stay healthy.
Plan a day of the week that your friends
and family can visit one another. You can
have one member host a get-together at
their homes and rotate each week. When it’s
your time to host you have plenty of options
for entertainment. You can offer dinner or
lunch, wine, movies, painting classes, board
games, or whatever you can think up! This
would also be a great opportunity to be
physically active. Perhaps everyone could
do some light yoga?
If your schedule is too busy to host an
event, you should at least take some time
to go to lunch with a close friend or chat
on the phone or webcam. You’d be amazed
how much being social can effect your
happiness.
Stay positive
You’ve probably heard about “mind
over matter” but have you ever tested it for
yourself? Studies have found that simply
having positive thoughts or saying positive
statements can enhance your mood and
quality of living. Each day you should take
a second to think about something you
are grateful for, whether it be your family,
friends, pets, health, home, or job.
Another way to stay positive is verbal
statements. It may seem silly at first, but
give it a try. When you wake up in the
morning say out loud, “I feel great and I
can handle anything today has to offer.” Of
course, you can make your own statement.
Give it an honest effort and you should
notice your spirits rising.
Light therapy
We already know that sunlight is
an important factor in your well-being,
but with the shorter days in the fall and
winter, most find it difficult to get a healthy
amount of sun. Many will begin to use
tanning beds in an attempt to feel better,
but research has shown that tanning beds
can be dangerous and potentially cause
skin cancer.
There are other options available to you.
Light therapy is the use of artificial lights to
relieve the symptoms of SAD. They mimic
natural sunlight to restore a functional
balance of serotonin and melatonin.
Serotonin has been found to enhance
your mood while melatonin affects your
circadian rhythms (your bodies routine in
which it sleeps, feeds, and produces certain
hormones.) You can find companies that
sell light therapy devices by doing an
online search. There are many different
options available, so you can easily find the
product that fits your needs and budget.
Don’t let the cold months bring you down.
If you feel SAD try these tips to improve
your mood and productivity. Always
remember, if you think you have a serious
mental or physical health disorder you
should seek out a professional.
Article by: Kriste Kephart
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