Tips on how to head off the winter blues

(WTNH) - Millions of people hate to see the "change-your-clock" Sunday come along. They know that shorter days of sunlight can bring on SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but like it or not, we make the change tonight.

What is SAD and what are some of its symptoms?

SAD is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms with the change of season. Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Lower energy and less desire to participate in social activities
• Tendency to oversleep and over eat - especially a craving for carbohydrates
• Difficulty concentrating on and completing tasks.

Some interesting facts about SAD:

• Seasonal Affective Disorder was first proposed as a Mood Disorder in 1984 by Norman Rosenthal. He had just moved from sunny South Africa to New York and wondered why he became sluggish during the winter. He experimented with increased exposure to artificial light and discovered that this made a difference.
• The further north you live, the worse the symptoms may be! Only 1.4 % of people in Florida experience SAD, compared to 9.5% in Finland
• An exception is Iceland. Why? A theory is because Icelandic people eat more fish - rich in Omega 3 oils.
• There is very little occurrence of SAD in tropical countries.
• Women are more likely to be affected by SAD than men.

Life Coach Millie Grenough gives a few tips on how you can head off the winter blues:

• The first thing is to realize that it's perfectly normal to experience differences in our moods and behavior as we head into winter.
• Get as much light as you can, real daylight or maybe a full-spectrum light.
• Take advantage of the season. Write down a list of your favorite wintertime activities and do them, whether it is cross-country skiing or curling up with a a good book and a cup of cocoa.
• Do at least one "Be-Happy" activity each day. At lunchtime, get out for a short walk, or after supper, walk around the block and look at the winter sky.
• Enjoy the special tastes and smells of winter, delicious soups and stews, cozy fires, and the scent of evergreen trees.
• Go to bed earlier. Research shows that our sleep is most restful and most productive if we go to bed by about 10 p.m. and consistently get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
• Stay off the computer and other electronic devices after 9 p.m. Late-night computer activity wreaks havoc with our circadian rhythms.
• Take advantage of your non-work days. Decide to spend at least one hour each weekend doing an outdoor activity in the daylight.
• If the urge to shop and eat comes up stronger, don't be surprised, it's linked to human survival. Just stop and ask yourself "What am I really hungry for?"
• If friends invite you to a warm tropical place during these months, go! If not, know that we live in New England and pretty soon Spring will roll around again.