Feeling S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder | S1E054

Are you someone on a spiritual journey, seeking to deepen your connection with your higher self? If you're eager to release fear, overcome self limiting beliefs and find relief from emotional stress and anxiety, then there is a call for love. And I'm your host, Linda Orsini, guiding you on your journey to awaken your inner healer by getting unstuck from old patterns, through mindset, movement, and meditation. Let's begin.

Welcome, friends, welcome to a call for love. I am so grateful you're here. Thank you for joining in. As today I want to share something with you that you may be experiencing in this moment. How are you feeling? How is your energy level? How is your mood. So record this, it is the beginning of February, in Ontario, Canada. And we have had a lot of dark days. The days are short, and the nights are long. Our sunlight has been minimal. And many, many people have been affected by this. If you suffer or know somebody who suffers from sad, the acronym, S A D, seasonal affective disorder, then this is the episode for you. Because we're going to dive into what causes it, and how you can help yourself move through it. We have four seasons in Canada. And I'm so grateful we do because it helps me navigate and appreciate the cycle of life. The seasons are cycles, and I'm learning to embrace it more. What about you? How do you feel about winter? You know, there's so many people that you know, just want to put the blanket over their head, and just wake me up when it's done. And I have a friend we always, you know, discuss that she says there's three months of winter. And I say there's six months of winter. And the point is, is that there is winter. So no matter where you are in the spectrum, we are in the depths of winter now. And seasonal affective disorder is something that's real. Now, if you know that you may be feeling it, but don't really know what it is, is actually a form of depression. It's when people start feeling like this, when the days start to get shorter, and the nights begin to get longer. They often say in the fall and winter, but I say this in actually going into the spring, you know, April can still be dark and gloomy and gray and cement tea. You know, it's the reduced sunlight exposure that really affects us. And the symptoms are, you may feel low in mood, like energy. You could even be experiencing changes in your appetite or wait. You know, we want those comfort foods in the winter. We're not as active we're snuggling up on the couch reading or watching TV or, or on YouTube, wherever we are. We're kind of more Wyatt, we go to bed earlier, which is actually great because we're honoring the cycle of the Earth as the animals are hibernating. But it does have an effect on us. It could even affect your concentration. You may even feel a sense of hopelessness or worthlessness because it disrupts your body's internal clock and the neurotransmitter levels. Yes, the lack of sunlight does seriously have a psychological effect on us. I know it does me. And so this is why we are diving into this topic today is my love letter to you in this month of February. I know that as a Reiki Master I have an infrared light that I placed over my Reiki clients as they receive Reiki energy. And this light is like a spotlight and I place it over their heart center a little bit over their face. And it provides deep deep warm infrared light therapy is actually very beneficial. And I use it on myself when I can. It helps to increase the serotonin in your system. And that helps elevate your mood, you know, by reducing depression and that sense of blah. I call it blindness which is not a word but it's Wow It feels blah blah In any case, infrared light is really great because the light, I feel like it gets right to my bones right through my skin, it warms me like a fire does sitting in front of a natural fire. There are infrared saunas that you can visit, you can even purchase an infrared light and use it in your home. So really great way to offer yourself Self healing at this time. Now, Jackie Morgan, who I interviewed in Episode 52, she has come from South Africa. And as we can imagine, and no, South Africa has a lot of sunlight. In fact, I believe their summer is all year long, 365 days, for the better part of it. And moving from South Africa to Canada, where our season of winter is quite long. And this change had a huge impact on her mood and her sense of vitality. And what she purchased is a bright light. And it's called Bright light therapy. And this therapy involves exposure to bright light, mimicking natural light. And these lamps emit about 10,000 Lux brighter than indoor lighting, very, very bright. It's recommended that you only use this bright light therapy for 20 to 30 minutes. And in the morning, it's very important not to exceed this. This bright light helps kickstart your serotonin. You know, when it gets dark out, our body reads that it's time to go to sleep. But if we're waking up in the winter, with no natural sunlight, our body just never gets that kickstart, it never gets that sense of momentum. And we Yes, we can have a cup of coffee or two or even three. But the point is, is that we want to help our body move through this by offering it some natural light, because that's what we want, especially in the morning. If you want to purchase the infrared light or bright light therapy, they're very accessible and very available. So that's something that you may want to consider. If you feel you need a little extra help. Of course, you can seek counseling, and even medication. But I often feel that this is very situational. And if you can do other things to adapt your lifestyle, to embrace what it is, and maybe not even brace but just maybe hold space for what it is, then you can navigate through this time a little bit more peacefully and with more self compassion. I know that when I was a school teacher, I would get immensely affected by this weather by the winter. And I do find that I've had to take a closer look at my mental well being. When I was a school teacher, it really hit me hard. It really hit me hard when I saw people away in January and February enjoying the sunlight on the ocean edge swimming, surfing, and just really enjoying the sunlight while I was at work. And it's not because I wasn't happy for them. It's just because I couldn't. And what I realized now, now that I've retired from teaching that I'm not always away in January, February, March, I have been going away, but I'm home. But it's not quite the same because I know I could go away. There's a difference between feeling hopeless that you can't, versus you choose not to. And so my moods now since I've retired and winter has really transformed. I feel like it's a decision that I make to stay where I am, as opposed to running away from where I am. Yes, I love the sun and I will be going but right now I can accept where I am in this moment. And that was a huge revelation for me, you know, knowing that I had choices. And so with that, I have also chose to embrace winter as best as I can. I try to get outside as much as I can

catch any sense of natural light. I position myself in my home by the window. I make sure that if there's any light that's permeating through the clouds or to the sky I that I get out. Luckily, I have a little dog. So it does really inspire me to get out more than I want to, if I didn't, possibly. And so I do get out. Now I do have the hot tub, if it's sunny, I try to get it in the hot tub. But I really am trying to embrace what is without resistance. And you know, that's the definition of suffering, resisting what is. And so last weekend, I actually went cross country skiing. I loved it, the fresh and cool air kissing my face was so revitalizing as I was there in the snow. And it was like spring skiing, because the weather is mild, but it's still been quite dark. The sun actually peaked its head through the clouds. And I was so grateful. It was an amazing experience to be outside, in winter, happy. And I was happy because I was moving my body, I was doing a novelty because I don't get to cross country ski. I haven't done it in years. And I was able to just be in the moment and find appreciation and find gratitude. And that's another thing that I find with seasonal affective disorder. We are not grateful. We're like resisting it, we're pushing it away. There's just so many negative connotations to it. And it's something that I'm noticing is something that I'm trying to shift because I am healthy now. But what happens if I'm not healthy, and I can't travel am I going to say to myself, I'm going to be miserable until this winter is over. And I don't think many of us are living like that. But it does take more effort, more intentional effort to elevate our mood and our energy, when there is more darkness that cannot be denied. And so doing whatever you can to nurture yourself, in order to elevate your mood and energy is essential at this time of year. And how are you going to do that, that's what you want to ask yourself. Maybe get a paper and pen and write down all the things that make you feel more elevated, more joyous, and invite more light into your life. Now sad seasonal affective disorder is situational. So if you do feel you need help, know that it is part of self compassion is part of the human experience. I look out my window, I look out my door. Everyone around me is experiencing this same back at this time because it is darker. And so coming together, knowing we're part of this will certainly help. I hope you have found some tips here that will help you navigate through this winter through seasonal affective disorder. And you know, maybe inviting a little bit more gratitude. And noticing what shifts you can make. Maybe you can't get away, maybe financially, it's not available to you, maybe your schedule does not allow it. And so what are you going to do? Try an hour or two, getting outside, even if it is not sunny out. Feeling that fresh, crisp air against your skin will feel revitalizing. No matter if the sun is out or not. Don't wait. I think we had 30 days of no sunlight. If we waited, it would get worse and worse and worse in terms of our mood and terms of our well being. So we really want to practice mental wellness at this time of year. And celebrate for those who are in the sun. And if you're feeling really depressed or envious, that you're not away like those on social media, then maybe avoid it for the time being. If it's just too much for you to handle. And just be kind, just be kind to you are in this moment. Allow yourself to move through your feelings as you navigate through this time of year. It's not easy. It requires more compassion, more noticing more awareness and more patience. Be kind to yourself, be kind to those around you. And guess what? The beautiful thing is This too shall pass. And pretty soon, we'll be seeing the flowers outside. Actually, I was just at the store and I saw tulips and I bought them and I put them on my table. Just as a reminder, that spring will come. It's a cycle of life. Let's embrace it as best as we can find any moments of gratitude, any moments of joy. By connecting with others. That's a great way to elevate your soul, your spirit, laugh, connect with those you care about. And really just be patient and kind and till the sun starts shining, and the days get brighter and longer. From my heart to yours, Namaste

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