Brighten Up the Winter Blues

Getting more light into your brain can relieve depression, mood swings, and jet lag, says Lauren Paxman.

As the nights get longer, those who suffer from the winter blues will be planning ways to escape to the sunshine.

But there may be a much simpler way of cheering yourself up... simply shining a bright light into your ear canal. Read more

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Posted in: light therapy,winter blues

Tired? Moody? Put on Some Shades and Reset Your Body Clock

Tired? Moody? Got the winter blues? Put on some shades and reset your body clock, says Lucy Elkins.

Suffer from daytime tiredness? Poor concentration? Feel you’ve lost your ‘get up and go’? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then lack of daylight could be to blame.

We all know that, at this time of year, exposure to daylight is important for avoiding the winter blues.

However, scientists have now found that exposure to bright daylight is actually vital throughout the year.

Without enough light – and, at the right time of the day – our body clock isn’t set properly. It then races ahead – or occasionally lags behind – the actual time. Read more

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Posted in: seasonal affective disorder,winter blues

Banish the Winter Blues Naturally

Tom Sykes used to think that the "winter blues" were a con, but now he's seen the light, and he explains how you can, too.

Seasonal affective disorder – SAD – was something I used to think people made up as an excuse to be grumpy.

Seriously, how could a lack of sunlight make you depressed?

And then I returned to the UK after living in America for four years.

One of the things I loved most about America – even more than free coffee refills – was the crisp, sunny winters. Even between December and February, you can average five hours of sunshine per day.

In London, we get one hour in December, and two in January and February.

My first winter in the UK for four years hit me with an almighty wallop. On the outside everything was going well – our first child was even sleeping through the night – so why did I want to crawl under the duvet and stay there until June?

A friend suggested I might suffer from SAD, but I pooh-poohed her suggestion. Read more

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Posted in: depression,seasonal affective disorder,winter blues