CareerMysteries

Here comes winter to the northeast and we are already besieged by extremely cold temperatures, more typical of January than November. Many people suffer from SAD - Seasonal Affected Disorder, a depression that sets in when you experience less sunlight. There is therapy available for severe cases, but for many of us who have a mild version of this and/or cabin fever in the winter months, we start to feel down in the dumps.

Some tricks I have used to make myself feel better include getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine or snowfall, whichever happens to be occurring. Skip the freezing rain and sleet outings, or you’re liable to feel even worse.

There is nothing more likely to make you feel like a kid again than a rousing snowball fight with the dog or racing down the hill on a toboggan. When you come back inside, have a pot of peppermint tea and a nice fire in the fireplace. Burn some apple or cherry wood which smells delicious when it is burning.

Scents are a marvelous thing. Just as hearing a familiar old song on the radio can elicit emotional responses from you that you had forgotten you could feel, so odors also have a similar effect, by triggering reactions in the brain and activating endorphins.

Whatever you enjoy, find time to do it during the SAD months if you can. More tomorrow.
<