The Ultimate SAD {Seasonal Affective Disorder} Survival Guide

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very REAL condition. The damp, dark, and cold fall and winters can be very hard. Let’s get through this together! Here are tips and tricks that help me survive the winter.

• Go outside within an hour of waking! Morning sunlight reinforces your natural circadian rhythms. No sunglasses!

• Testing Vitamin D levels (at least twice a year) and Supplementing with Vitamin D3/K2 (80% of humans are deficient or suboptimal in their intake)

• Consistent daily exercise and movement! Move your body daily, this should be a non-negotiable!

• Living in alignment with your circadian rhythm

• Get COZY! Embrace the season and find joy in the cozy things

• Happy lamps and/or sunrise alarm clocks

• Warming foods, like your great grandmother would make! Bone broth, stews, roasted veggies, etc.

• Getting REAL sunlight on your skin, even if it’s 30 degrees out

• Take your sunglasses off!

• DIM the lights in the evenings to naturally wind down (also use candles/night shift on your screens/blue light blocking glasses)

• Reduce stress wherever you can, we all need it

• Plan trips to sunny places!

• Implementing morning and evening routines

• Supplementing with adaptogenic herbs (I loveeee Rhodiola)

• FYI: Alcohol won’t help your SADness

• Balance your blood sugar (fat/fiber/protein at every meal)

• BREATHE! Take actual deep breaths DEEP into your belly. Catch yourself when you’re holding your breath and shallow breathing (most of us do this way too often!)

• Infrared sauna blanket (Discount Code = MADDHEALTHY15)

• Clean candles (avoid toxic ones)

• Red light therapy

• Supplements: Melatonin, St. John’s Wort, Sam-E, phosphatidylserine, vitamin D, adaptogenic herbs, magnesium, tyrosine, 5-HTP

• Non-toxic tanning lotion (to pretend! :))

• Making fun plans and sticking with them! Even if you don’t want to leave your house until April 2022 (me!)

• Earlier bedtime. Every hour you sleep BEFORE midnight counts as TWO in terms of good quality sleep!

• Sing, dance, and stimulate your vagus nerve!

• Weighted blanket (we love ours!)

• Community — I am a huge homebody and love to be alone and cancel plans, but nobody can deny the power of community when it comes to health and happiness

• Finding good/happy shows and movies (hellooo Ted Lasso and Christmas movies!)

• Schedule a massage and/or acupuncture

• FaceTime your friends

• Go on walks and get outside WHENEVER you possibly can

• Hike, too, if you have access!

• Skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing (embrace the cold!)

• Strength training weekly (3X a week = amazing)

• Drink tea, bone broth, golden milk lattes

• Gratitude practice

• Baking healthy treats + drinking cozy lattes

• Eat seasonally. Embracing fall/winter foods and finding JOY in eating them!

• Daily sunlight ON your skin without sunscreen blocking it (even just 10 minutes) (don’t tell your dermatologist I said this ;), do your own research, this is not medical advice)

• Read good books and take BREAKS from social media

• Limiting or avoiding caffeine/sugar for less anxiety and better quality sleep

• Blue light blocking glasses for the evenings to keep your circadian rhythm in balance (Avoid screens and bright lights ~1-2 hours before bedtime!)