My Top Tips for Taking Care of Yourself Amid Daylight Savings
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.
Especially here in the northeast, Daylight Savings Time ending can pack a serious punch. With daylight waning, the sun setting before 5 pm, and workloads often ramping up around this time, it is no shock that it can be a difficult adjustment, and a difficult time in general for a lot of us. Please note that I am NOT a mental health professional, and any mental health support or advice should be directed to someone who is. I do, however, suffer from depression and anxiety, and aside from the strategies and work I have done with my therapist and psychiatrist to manage my symptoms, I have figured out some strategies that seem to help out during those short days and long nights. These tips are NOT a replacement for professional help, and they may work differently for you than they do for me– these are simply my experiences, and absolutely do not encapsulate the entire picture of my mental health or how I manage it! With that in mind, here are some of my strategies for self care around this time of year, in no particular order!
Waking up early: I know this one is NOT easy, and I will not pretend it happens every day! When I am able to wake up earlier, though, I do find it very beneficial. Having more hours of sunlight and a bit of quieter time in the morning before my day starts really sets me up to have a better day. If you can do this, even some of the time, I would give it a try!
Having a lamp, fairy lights, or other soft light source: I don’t know about anyone else, but those fluorescent overhead lights in college dorms? OUCH. I much prefer to be without them, but find that being in the complete dark worsens my seasonal blues, so I opt for fairy lights and a salt lamp as a nice medium!
Going for a walk, or sitting outside: this does not have to be for long– I find that even a five minute walk outside or ten minutes sitting on a bench in the sun can do wonders for my mental wellbeing. As a busy, and chronically ill, person, I totally understand that this is not always doable, but I try to get in even short bursts of time outdoors while it is still light out.
Vitamin D supplements: please consult with a doctor or other health professional to determine whether these would be helpful for you, but where Vitamin D is hard to come by, especially in the winter months, it is probably no surprise that a lot of people are Vitamin D deficient, and many do not know it! Once again, please do not take any supplements without consulting with a health professional, but a Vitamin D deficiency can do a number on your mood, so it may be worth looking into, especially if you live in the northeast!
Opening your windows: I know this sounds SO simple, but it can seriously make a world of difference! If you can, give it a try. I find the extra sunlight really helps. There is really nothing that can fully replace natural light, in my experience, and this can help bring on just a little more of it, even on days where even getting out of bed might feel impossible.
As a reminder, these tips are NOT a replacement for physical or mental health care. If you are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone, and there are resources out there to help. Many colleges and universities, including Conn, offer free or low-cost counseling, and there is zero shame in using it. Take care of yourselves.
