That’s it, here we are. That famous time of year when from 5 p.m. it’s dark, cold, and the only thing that attracts you when leaving work is your sofa. Research show that decreasing sunlight causes your body to produce more melatonin, a hormone that induces sleepiness, and less serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood. Result: finding the energy necessary to do anything becomes mission impossible.
If you are aware of this bad luck that has befallen you and you want to ward off it, you are in the right place. HuffPost asked therapists if there was something people could do to recharge and reclaim their evenings after work when it’s already dark outside. Here are their five tips.
1. Get back to basics: What really matters tonight?
Before sinking into the routine or the guilt of everything you “have” to do after work, “think instead about what these activities add to your life”recommends Saba Harouni Lurie, licensed marriage and family therapist. Whether it’s having a drink with a friend to cultivate your relationships or a workout to boost your morale, identifying your motivations helps you transform your actions into intentional choices. “So you create a routine that serves your well-being, not your obligations”she explains.
2. Engage the brain-body duo
When winter seems to suck your energy like a Dementormoving remains one of the simplest ways to get out of your lethargic state. “Aligning the mind and body in relaxation can increase motivation and energy very effectively”says Melissa Giuttari, a therapist in a private practice in New York. No need for an intense sports session, fifteen minutes of walking or stretching is enough. This is the key to being relaxed, happy, grounded and motivated.
3. Brighten up your evenings with a light therapy lamp
Is natural light just a distant memory? Bring the sun into your home with a light therapy lamp. This one “mimics natural outdoor light and may stabilize brain chemicals linked to bad mood”says Lienna Wilson, a therapist specializing in anxiety. Use a 10,000 lux lamp for twenty to forty minutes, ideally in the early evening, and not too late so as not to disturb your sleep. Be careful, this option requires a budget, but that’s good: Christmas is just around the corner.
4. Opt for simple and rewarding pleasures
According to mental health counselor Riley Brown, “willpower is a limited resource”. If you give everything you have to work, you are drained at the end of the day. She therefore suggests doing activities that are highly rewarding and undemanding during the winter months. Completing a puzzle, coloring or cooking recipe can provide a feeling of accomplishment without requiring too much energy. However, avoid the trap of infinite scrolling on social networks, because as rewarding as it is, it can quickly cause anxiety and depression.
5. Let yourself go at a slower pace
What if winter darkness was an opportunity to slow down? “We have evolved in such a way that our brain associates darkness with slowing down and sleeping”explains Katherine Hayes, licensed therapist. A word of advice: don’t object. A movie or podcast can be incredibly restorative, she says. Sometimes just doing nothing is exactly what you need to get your energy back.
Source: www.slate.fr
