Cold and dark season apathy / Winter depression

[zinzen]

Here in Cleveland we have this horrible thing called lake effect weather, it is a blanket of gray sky from october till about april, I end up wanting to kill myself every year.

Best I can tell you is force yourself kicking and screaming to the gym like its your job.

I gotta do it every year, and now I moved further away from the gym so this should be fun.

Good luck, and let me know if you find a better way

[threeloaves]

Does anyone have any original ideas, tips or suggestions or at least orignal explanations how to persistently go to the gym or avoidi any lazy addictions during colder weather and longer nights?

 

Personally this has always been a struggle for me. I always find it easier to get plenty of exercise and maintain self-respect of my body from March through September than between October and April.

 

Winter holidays are the worst.

 

I'm at about latitude 45 North.

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Gr8XKxnxZmM/SSBxWwiLj2I/AAAAAAAAAVs/YOAYuGFf4bQ/604002147_f4772d59f7.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Gr8XKxnxZmM/SSBxXDRZKzI/AAAAAAAAAV0/R7FRKPuztZ8/BruceLeeMyHero.png

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Gr8XKxnxZmM/SSBxXpL8XiI/AAAAAAAAAV8/maaHKCTiYmg/s576/sylvester_stallone_008.jpg

 

Thankfully the weather doesn't affect my training. It does have a drastic impact on my mental well-being though.

[CollegeB]

I am accustomed to biking to the gym, but once it gets down to freezing and below I never want to leave my apartment (as cold as it may be). I feel for you. Sometime you just gotta crank up the old internal combustion engine and get to work, like zen said. I'm doing more exercise at home such as push ups and sit ups, filling jugs with water to lift, also heavy boxes.

[Im Your Man]

I prefer to go to the gym in winter. In summer I train outside. Even if the winter is rough here, that don't bother me too much, as I don't have to deal with a car being stuck in the snow or traffic jams and the cold, because I take the subway and bus. There's also kilometers of paths built under the city so don't have to freeze outside to go from a place to another. I like spending hours at the gym, then at the library, then school/work, etc.

 

Of course winter, and autumn, especially october and november, bring on the blues sometimes, I guess because there's less light. That's why it's important to expose your skin (at least the face and hands) minimum 10 minutes per day to direct natural light. And nutrition is primary in winter. More of quality, and perhaps more quantity too. Making better food combinations, to avoid slowing down digestion and cause fatigue. Perhaps it would be good to focus on vitamin C, iron, as well as carbs, proteins and fats... well, more energy, and to gain some fat for protection against the cold.

I used to be pretty affected by winter but now not really.

[hsorlando]

I know, I live in Florida. But this still happens to me when it gets colder. Tonight it's suppposed to get down in the 40s. Which I guess sounds pretty good to all of you, but feels pretty damn cold to us Floridians. On cold, dreary days you just got to get to the gym anyway. Even if you don't want to leave the comfort and warmth of your home, we all feel better once we're at the gym. Just remember how good it makes you feel to train, and don't give in to excuses. And once upon a time I did live more North, and I can say I am so thankful that I don't anymore!

[sydneyvegan]

In those cold winter months I find Routine is what keeps me going to the gym more than anything else.

I tend to suffer from SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, year after year. The worst I've had was a couple of

years back when I was living in the UK, so grey and miserable, but I kept going to the gym, even though every

part of me wanted to stay in bed or curled up on the couch.

[beforewisdom]

Things can be done about Seasonal Affective Depression. If you are having a tough enough time to do the things that are important to you go on amazon, buy some books on it and go see a therapist. Aside from drugs there is talk therapy that helps, supplements, special lighting and other things.

[vivalasvegans]

I didn't grow up here in the land of liquidy grayness, and so when I moved here, SAD got me pretty bad cuz i was so not used to no sunshine. The best way I found to deal with it was to bike commute every day (about 20 minutes one way trip) and ride outside, hike, or dki on the weekends, every day. For me, there was some kind of holistic effect that took care of the lack of light by being outside every day - maybe the continuous low level light? idk.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv6lHwWwO3w

[Marcina]

It gets dark at 4pm now here..

 

I'm freakin' bummed. I had a dream I went to California and hung out on the beach.

[Aaron]

Yeah this dark at 4pm thing is not cool.

[_raVen_]

For anyone who is depressed or even just bluesy, therapeutic lights are highly successful. They treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, as well, help re-set one's circadian rhythm (for sleep problems); and, along with very-good nutrition; proper DHA (vegan sources widely available); and, if necessary, counseling can assist with major depressive disorders.

 

Here is a source

 

Here too.

 

So it's useful for a number of things, and not just "depression."

[Marcina]

Hmm kinda pricy. I'm going for therapy right now.