Your Mental Health in the Approaching Winter

While winter can bring beautiful snow, different recreational activities, and a time to slow down- winter also can impact our mood and well-being.

The decreased daylight hours can lower our serotonin (feel good) chemical in our brain, and increase melatonin (sleepy) chemical. Feeling more irritable, tired, or sad is not uncommon for many people in the winter. Below are several ideas to work with the winter season to feel as happy and healthy as possible:

1. Incorporate some sort of movement during the day. Maintaining a movement routine whether large or small will help to manage aches and pains, energy levels, and can improve sleep. Ideas include: slow walks outside, stretching, and dancing!

2. Pre-schedule some social interactions. While burrowing into your room or house can be tempting, isolation is a contributing factor to declining mental health in the winter season. Setting up a recurring social appointment you enjoy for the winter months can be an antidote- and we can do it before winter even starts. Consider setting up a monthly coffee date with a friend for November through March, or pick a recurring class or event to attend throughout the darker months. Setting up a routine before we begin to experience energy levels drop can be helpful and we can thank our October-self when it is the middle of February!

3. Adjust your environment when and where you are able. Small adjustments to our home, work, and frequented spaces can provide visual and mental support and stimulation during the darker winter months. Some possibilities: warm colored string lights in your office, a timer that turns your living room light on in the morning, a new blanket on your couch, some extra teas that have warm and wintery flavors, a refillable heating pouch, a piece of art you rotate with the seasons, or a real or flameless candle you enjoy the smell of. Finding ways to add things into our environment can help balance out what we feel like we lose during the winter months.

4. Lastly, all of the basics of health and wellbeing still stand during the wintertime! Doing your best to drink enough water, eat the food that works for your body, and finding ways to get restful sleep (but not too much), are all important factors to remember- even though we might not be engaging with the outside world as much during the winter time.

Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy is available to support you at all times of the year, especially if you notice changes in your energy and health during the winter months. Give our office a call to discuss meeting with an individual provider to support you through the season, or hear about group and retreat offerings we have for you during this time of year.

Resources for your winter in Missoula or other places:

● Missoula Downtown Events: https://www.missouladowntown.com/events/

● Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times- book by Katherine May

● Community Classes: Lifelong Learning Center Classes

-Khwaja, M. Navigating the winter blues. BDJ In Pract 34, 18–20 (2021).https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-021-0973-3