Many people report feeling depressed as the days get shorter. Around the winter solstice or after the fun and festivities have concluded, you might feel down. Some people have more severe seasonal mood swings that extend all through the fall and winter when there is less natural sunlight. What is it about the gloomier days that can make us feel depressed? What can we do to address it?

Winter blues is a catch-all term for a variety of medical conditions. It's fairly typical and less severe than serious.

Many people experience winter depression or "the winter blues." The seasonal affective disorder is the term used by doctors to describe this winter depression (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that must be successfully treated by the best online Clinical Psychologist or best Online Psychiatrist at TalktoAngel, Europe's No. 1 Online counselling and mental health wellbeing platform. To have seen a professional if you already have SAD could perhaps help you figure through all of it.

Signs & Symptoms of Winter Blues

Signs and symptoms of SAD include:

• Feeling  anxious, listless, sad, gloomy, or down most of the day, nearly almost every day
• Loss of  interest in activities once enjoyed
• Having very low energy, and libido and feeling sluggish
• Having problems with sleeping too less or  much
• Experiencing  excessive cravings for carbohydrates, overeating, and weight gain
• Having difficulty  in attention & concentrating
• Feeling of being hopeless, worthless or guilty
• Having thoughts of suicide or self-harm

Although millions of us claim to have experienced winter-related depression, it sometimes seems as though the winter blues are really an urban legend. However, the notion that the season may impact our moods is backed by a solid research project. This same majority of the scientific community believes the problem is related to the body's response to facing the sun. According to Alison Kerry of the mental health organization MIND, one idea for SAD is that variations in hormone levels are brought on by light entering the eye. Light causes our bodies to stop producing the melatonin hormone, causing us to become awake.

It is thought that the shorter breaks of winter have an effect on frustrated patients, causing more institutional stomach secretion, which did cause fatigue as a result. Contact your doctor/ psychiatrist online, if individuals find it difficult to function normally due to depression and are not being able to manage regularly.

• Light therapy: It should come as no surprise that treatment for the winter blues entails bringing more sunshine into your life. Get outside as often as you can during the winter if you're feeling down, especially on sunny days. A bench is useful yet. You may be persuaded to plan a colorful vacation to escape the dark winter days. A few really SAD caregivers have ended up finding this to be beneficial, while others have unearthed that their circumstance intensifies when they bring it back to the UK. To treat unhappy, lightweight medical aid is usually utilized. Sitting in front of or underneath a light box that emits intense light is required for this. 
• In the cold, eating healthily is also crucial. Winter blues might cause you to crave sweets and carbohydrates like bread, spaghetti, and chocolate, so be sure to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables as well.
• Exercising outside will have a twofold benefit if you are prone to get SAD because you'll get some daylight, "The brain's concentration of the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin is thought to alter as a result of the activity. It can also be beneficial because it offers a welcome change of scenery and facilitates meeting new people. Your doctor might be able to recommend an activity program to you if you have SAD. But if the winter blues are your issue, why not go outside and work out on your own?
• Evidence-based mindfulness practices can be used to treat "blues" symptoms. Focusing less on upsetting thoughts and feelings helps to control mood swings and increases overall well-being. Books, websites, and smartphone apps are just a few of the resources available for learning and practicing mindfulness. Numerous websites offer guided audio exercises for deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery, many of which are free to access. Stop, Breathe assume, and Insight Timer area units are a couple of the foremost common apps. Everyone can find something that suits them because there is a sufficient range of options. Try this beneficial breathing practice to help you relax or fall asleep during the day:
• Balloon breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing: Inhale for four seconds, trying to get as much oxygen as you can into your stomach. Then that will expand within you like a balloon. Continually expand for one second. Empty your abdomen the maximum amount as you'll with a four-second exhale. Sort of a balloon deflating, your abdomen can do thus. Keep your breath out for one second. To feel the full benefits of relaxing, repeat this procedure three to five times.
• Winter blues are frequently accompanied by anxiety and stress. According to Prof (Dr) R K Suri Best Clinical Psychologist in India “both are harmful to the body and mind and hamper functioning”. Relax to increase your energy levels. Acceding to him “even minutes of relaxation can help you to manage stress." And, additional is healthier." Powers-James suggests relaxation techniques like target-hunting mental imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, massage, or hypnosis. Prof Suri further recommends speaking or having an e-consultation with an intellectual mental healthcare professional unless your symptoms occur or continue into the spring and early summer. They may provide more effective treatments or medications. Your best bet for avoiding the blues? "Exercise regularly at all this year," “You'll feel better and have a lower risk of getting cancer or lifestyle diseases."

Contributed by:  Dr (Prof) R K Suri & Ms.Phaguni Kataria