Winter Blues Buster: Ways to Beat Winter Lethargy and Demotivation
Everyone, the cold winter has come. In winter, you don’t want to come out from under the warm blankets, and it’s easy to fall into lethargy. Also, many people suffer from drowsiness because they stay in the same position for a long time. So today, I’m going to talk about how to escape from lethargy in the winter and how to solve drowsiness.
The core of the paper is that 552 men and women aged 19 and over living in Seoul conducted a seasonal survey measuring mental health according to the season and found that winter lethargy and mood loss were due to a decrease in sunlight hours. Professor Hong, who published the research results in the latest issue of the prestigious international journal Comprehensive Psychiatry, talked about mental health care in the winter.
Drowsiness in winter is called drowsiness. Drowsiness is called “Seasonal Affective Disorder” in English, and if translated into Korean, it is called “Seasonal Emotional Disorder.” It is commonly used as drowsiness in Korea, but in medicine, it is called “Seasonal Emotional Disorder.”
symptoms of sleep deprivation
I feel lethargic and depressed, or I feel lazy about what I usually like
the cause of sleep deprivation
Due to the decrease in sunlight and outdoor activities,
In winter, sunlight is reduced and outdoor activities are reduced due to cold and dry weather, resulting in less exposure to sunlight.
The weather factor most closely related to the mental health of Koreans is the sunrise. Westerners tend to have a distinctive seasonality in winter, and Koreans have been found to have two types at the same time: winter and summer. Both are due to a time when outdoor activities have decreased dramatically and people have to stay indoors most of the time
It has been revealed that mental health problems caused by the weather or symptoms similar to the so-called “seasonal mood disorder” are caused by abnormalities in the part of our brain that controls our mood, and it is a disorder in which mood control is difficult to control and an abnormal mood persists for a long time, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
When we get enough sunlight, our body releases serotonin hormones, which make us feel happy and affect our appetite and sleep. Therefore, a lack of serotonin causes us to feel lethargy, fatigue, and depression.
First of all, the decrease in sunlight and shorter days are the main reasons. The decrease in natural light caused by shorter days interferes with a person’s body clock (circular rhythm) and leads to depression and fatigue, resulting in changes in hormone levels.
The balance of melatonin, a hormone that affects sleep patterns and moods, is disrupted by seasonal changes. Increased melatonin can lead to sleepiness and a loss of motivation. Serotonin levels, which affect our moods, are also affected.
The decrease in sunlight leads to a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that affects your mood. Low serotonin levels affect depression. It is also the reason why you feel especially depressed in the winter.
Limited sunlight-induced vitamin D deficiency is also a reason to feel tiredness and depression more easily in the winter. SAD is also a more common symptom in areas far from the equator, where days are very short in winter.
About the prevention and resolution of drowsiness
By increasing outdoor activities, you should take a lot of time to get some sun and activate serotonin secretion.
There are two main ways to get serotonin:.
It's like basking in the sun
2: It’s eating tryptophan food.
This is because tryptophan is converted to serotonin when it enters the body.
Tryptophan is used as a raw material for serotonin, which cannot be automatically produced in our body, so it must be consumed through food. It is recommended to eat foods rich in tryptophan, such as red meat, cheese, milk, beans, eggs, and bananas.
I’m going to talk about how to get rid of lethargy in winter and how to solve myopathy.
Constant Exercise Although the body shrinks and doesn’t want to exercise in the winter, steady exercise helps a lot in relieving lethargy and myopia. Try light stretching or home training that you can do at home. Exercise promotes blood circulation, reducing lethargy and preventing myopia.
A Balanced Nutrition A lack of nutrients lowers the energy of our bodies and minds. Therefore, a balanced diet is essential for relieving lethargy in the winter. In particular, protein and vitamin D are helpful in generating energy and improving mood, so it is recommended to include them in your diet.
Enough Rest: Sufficient rest Sufficient rest is the key to resolving lethargy and myopia. In particular, sleep plays an important role in restoring our physical strength and energy. Therefore, it is important to get a deep sleep.
Positive Mindset Winter lethargy also affects our way of thinking. Therefore, it is important to maintain a positive mindset. If you keep a positive mind, you can escape from lethargy.
Hobby Activities Fun hobbies can energize our minds and prevent myopia. Find hobbies you enjoy, such as reading books, drawing pictures, and cooking.
It is recommended to find and do simple exercises indoors.
If you exercise in the cold weather, you have a high chance of catching a cold, so you feel lethargic
It’s going to be a lot of pressure on people to look for workouts that you can do indoors
Doing what suits you will help your health.
If you still don’t like exercising, I recommend stretching.
For those who are sitting and working from home, stretch your body from time to time
This is because you have to release it so that it doesn’t hurt and can help you work.
Lastly, if you need help, it’s always good to see a counselor.
This is because the counselor can listen to the client’s concerns and help him or her achieve psychological stability.
If you are reluctant to come out, you should solve it with a visiting counselor.
Try these ways to stay healthy and energetic even in the winter. I hope you can overcome lethargy and myopia and have a great winter
