S.A.D: Seasonal Affective Disorder and 6 ways to beat winter blues

1. FIRST READ THE SCIENCE

Numerous studies, going back to the 1980s, have shown that exercise is the perfect antidote to depression. A study published in 2005 found that walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. And at the annual conference of the Anxiety Disorder Association of America in March 2010 (reported in the Science Daily) a number of studies were reviewed and results analyzed and researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed for the blues! 

2. JUST DO IT

"Get your trainers on and get your *** out the door," says David Brown, Sports Performance Coach and Bug Blogger, who runs the Academy of the Sporting Mind. "In the short term, 20 minutes of activity will lift your mood," he adds. "Don't stress about it. If you're lying on the couch eating crisps and have set yourself a goal of a 10-mile run it can seem daunting. But get your running gear on and just get out the door to run for as long as you feel able to, and you'll feel better," he says. Jasper Smits, director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas agrees with this, quoted in Science Daily, he says: "After just 25 minutes, your mood improves, you are less stressed, you have more energy - and you'll be motivated to exercise again tomorrow. A bad mood is no longer a barrier to exercise; it is the very reason to exercise."

3. MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

"Instead of saying it's cold and miserable, just think it's cold. It is what it is. It's neither good nor bad so try to avoid attaching a meaning to the weather. And remember the positives. Wind and rain will toughen you up for racing and will mean you really appreciate the summer when it comes," says David Brown.

4. USE POSITIVE VISUALISATION

Create a picture in your mind of all the positives, the reasons you run, to look good, feel good after races, have fun with your friends. "It's called future pacing in NLP," explains David Brown. "As you run see yourself looking fit, strong and winning races. Bathe yourself in sunlight and warmth - in your mind. It's amazing how positive images stick."

5. GET A LIGHT BOX

Some people feel the affects of winter more than others, and Seasonaly Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is believed to effect two million people in the UK and Northern Ireland every year. Lightboxes with a brightness of 2,500-10,000 lux. (normal light bulbs produce about 80 lux; direct sunlight 100,000 lux.) are believed to help as they regulate the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and boost the mood-enhancing hormone, serotonin. For more information, visit, http://www.sad.org.uk/.

Win a mood-elevating Valkee device worth £185 here!

6. GET SOME WINTER SUN

There are lots of studies linking Vitamin D deficiency and depression, and Vitamin D levels do increase when the sun is shining. Check out running holidays with Club La Santa, based in Lanzarote, a year-round sunny zone, or try a race abroad; Running Crazy organize breaks all through the year to winter sunspots.  

WHAT NEXT?

Choose a running training plan to keep you motivated: Find a running training schedule.

Signing up for an event will help motivate you by giving you a clear goal. Find a running event here.