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Consciously indulging in time out: this is how you beat the winter blues

2021-12-18T14:17:15.507Z


Consciously indulging in time out: this is how you beat the winter blues Created: 12/18/2021, 3:00 PM From: Katja Brenner In December gray: The weather and the short days are currently causing a cloudy mood for many people. Due to the Corona crisis, they also perceive the time as a special burden. © VICTORIA BONN-MEUSER / DPA The days are short, the sun is often rare, and there is also the nev


Consciously indulging in time out: this is how you beat the winter blues

Created: 12/18/2021, 3:00 PM

From: Katja Brenner

In December gray: The weather and the short days are currently causing a cloudy mood for many people.

Due to the Corona crisis, they also perceive the time as a special burden.

© VICTORIA BONN-MEUSER / DPA

The days are short, the sun is often rare, and there is also the never-ending topic of corona.

While this crisis demands a lot from everyone, many also feel the winter blues.

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer, Medical Director of the Tölzer Schlemmer Clinic and specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, psychiatry and neurology, reveals what can help.

Mr. Reicherzer, why do many people tend to be a little more depressed at this time of year?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

That affects a lot of people, it is assumed that one in three.

When we get less light, our brain produces the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

In the case of the happiness hormone serotonin, it is exactly the other way around, it is released when there is a lot of light, and when there is no light exposure, less of it is produced.

The winter blues can go into February.

Are more people currently looking for help from you?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

You don't have to see a doctor or therapist because of a winter blues.

There are measures with which you can get through the winter just as easily.

What role does the current pandemic play in this?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

An increasingly important role.

Corona, of course, intensifies this through the restrictions that it brings with it.

Lots of opportunities to treat yourself to something beautiful, such as going to a concert or a Christmas market, that just doesn't work.

This is a great burden, especially for young people, because they have fewer experiences that are part of development at that age.

It is also particularly difficult for people in the third phase of life, as many have fewer social contacts out of fear of the virus, which also affects the mind.

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer, Medical Director of the Schlemmerklinik © Fotostudio Sauter

What options do you have yourself to counteract the winter blues?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

With regard to the purely biological, one can, so to speak, “get light”. There are good light therapy devices. You should expose yourself to light for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning because it has a stimulating effect. In general, you should ensure that you have a sufficient supply of vitamin D and get enough sleep in a regulated manner - but not too much, as this can also have negative effects. It is important: you should keep a regular sleep rhythm if possible. In addition, there is the daily structure. It is helpful to have a healthy morning routine with enough time to stretch a little, it doesn't have to be endurance sports right away. Taking a cold and warm shower and indulging in a nice breakfast also contributes to wellbeing. And: You should keep your screen time as short as possible. On the Internet, you run the risk of googling your way from one topic to another.It's just exhausting for the brain to face all these issues and stimuli. In addition, you usually come across content that doesn't exactly lift the mood.

What does that mean in concrete terms for people who are troubled by the season?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

You should specifically choose topics that speak to our organism in a positive way.

We tend to devote ourselves to rather negative things, which is made very easy for us in the face of Corona.

However, it is healthier to deal with positive things, to train your mind on what has happened to you beautiful and even to write it down every day.

You should also approach people positively, for example by bringing a slight smile to the bakery in the morning.

That comes back.

You can also support yourself at home.

There is wonderful sad music, but our organism interacts with it.

You should therefore choose cheerful music, comedies for films or travel reports on television.

How can you still support yourself?

Dr.

Markus Reicherzer:

Exercise in the fresh air is a great antidepressant, you don't even have to jog.

It makes sense to take a walk for about half an hour at least twice a week.

You should also pamper yourself a little: It can be a massage, if it is allowed under the Corona rules, a nice new piece of clothing, fragrances.

Once a week you should say to yourself: Today I'll treat myself to something nice.

But: You shouldn't reach for the bottle.

And stress should be avoided wherever it can be avoided.

Christmas errands, for example, shouldn't degenerate into stress.

Food is also important.

You should make sure that you don't put additional strain on the body, i.e. don't eat anything that makes you sluggish.

St. John's wort also has antidepressant effects.

In general, you should eat a diet rich in vitamins.

How important are social contacts in this?

Dr. Markus Reicherzer:

It is important not to isolate yourself, to maintain social contacts and to get out of your own four walls from time to time. If you have a family, you can do something together, play games or watch a film, consciously engage in creative interaction with the family. Make yourself comfortable and tinker something together, so you can make it beautiful with a few resources. A lot depends on it, including memories from your own childhood. Who didn't enjoy doing handicrafts with their grandparents? Often we adults no longer have access to what is good for us. However, it is fundamentally extremely important to have a mindful attitude and to treat yourself to such time-outs. Anyone who has few contacts anyway can take responsibility for an animal, which can also be very healing.

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-12-18

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