4 Ways To Give Yourself Extra Care During Colder Months

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4 Ways To Give Yourself Extra Care During Colder Months

If you’re anything like me, colder weather and shorter days mean a number of things are changing:

1.   Getting out of bed in the dark? Yeah, that feels like running a marathon.

2.   Lunch looks more like pork mac and cheese than a grilled chicken salad with almonds, goat cheese and fruit.

3.   Doing the dishes when you get home from work is infinitely less appealing than putting your feet up and watching holiday-themed movies.

We get out of healthier habits and slip into hibernation mode. Our bodies aren’t as well-nourished because the foods that seem more appetizing have higher levels of fat and sugar. We are lounging more and moving less. All of these factors lead us to feeling sluggish, less emotionally stable, and generally yucky!

 Self-care to the rescue! I am here to tell you there are ways to boost comfort and contentment without sacrificing true care for your mind and body. Here we go.

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Codependency: What Is It?

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Codependency: What Is It?

The original concept of “codependent” came from wives of the alcoholics who started Alcoholic Anonymous, Bill Wilson and “Dr. Bob.”  The men would have AA meetings in people’s houses and the wives would sit in the kitchen and talk over coffee and dessert.  As they exchanged stories about their experiences, they realized they all had done similar things in an effort to protect their husband from consequences of their alcoholism.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder : What It Is And How To Combat It

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Seasonal Affective Disorder : What It Is And How To Combat It

Do you find yourself feeling sad, sluggish, tired, or moody during the colder months? If so, you may be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 10 million Americans are affected by SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that is triggered by changes in seasons.

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How to Break the Cycle of Depression

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How to Break the Cycle of Depression

Often my clients come to me because they are feeling depressed and hoping for a way to feel better.  They often say they’re feeling tired, unmotivated, and are struggling to enjoy things even if they had loved those things before.  They want their energy and their joy back but they just can’t figure out how to make it happen.  It’s difficult to problem solve and make changes if you don’t know what’s causing you to feel this way or how depression works.  One thing that can help in identifying the causes of depression, which ultimately is helpful for problem solving next steps to feeling better, is recognizing that depression maintains itself in a cycle. 

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Top 10 Ways To Know You Might Be Depressed

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Top 10 Ways To Know You Might Be Depressed

I wanted to write about depression, because this time of year is often really hard for people.  The holidays are over, the weather is cold, it’s dark, and there is nothing really to look forward to now until St Patrick’s Day, or maybe spring.  It’s a long stretch of relative yuckiness.  Throw COVID and quarantine in the mix and that adds up to extra difficulties!  Today, I want to address when this low mood crosses over the threshold into possible clinical depression.

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