Keep the Beat Incorporated Blog

We realize that this can be a difficult time of year. We wanted to share with you this article we read from one of our local business associates.

Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you’re like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Don’t brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own — you may have seasonal affective disorder. Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications.
Addressing the problem can help you keep
your mood and motivation steady through-out the year.
Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:
* Depression
* Hopelessness
* Anxiety
* Loss of energy
* Social withdrawal
* Oversleeping
* Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
* Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
* Weight gain
* Difficulty concentrating and processing information

If your seasonal depression symptoms are severe, you may need medications, light therapy or other treatments to manage sea-sonal affective disorder. However, there are some measures you can do on your own that may help, such as:
Make your environment sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, add skylights and trim tree branches that block sunlight. Sit closer to bright windows while at home or in the office.
Get outside. Take a long walk, eat lunch at a nearby park, or simply sit on a bench and soak up the sun.
Exercise regularly. Physical exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
You can take action to cope with seasonal affective disorder. Here are tips to help you manage the condition:

Stick to your treatment plan. Take medications as directed and attend therapy appointments as scheduled.
Take care of yourself. Get enough rest. Eat regular, healthy meals. Take time to relax. Don’t turn to alcohol or unprescribed drugs for relief.
Practice stress management. Learn how to manage your stress better. Unmanaged stress can lead to depression, overeating, or other unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.
Socialize. When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to be social. Make an effort to connect with people you enjoy being around. They can offer support, a shoulder to cry on or a joke to give you a little boost.

Information reprinted from the MayoClinic.com

One of my favorite quotes is from Pablo Picasso–”Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Continue to create and express yourself, your mind and your soul will love you for it!

Keep Moving Forward! Keep On Drumming!