Heal Your SAD Naturally

Tips to help offset seasonal depression

Janice Tovey
3 min readOct 21

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Photo by Daoudi Aissa on Unsplash

A lack of sunshine, fresh air, and exercise can wreak havoc on our psychological well-being.

As a consequence, many people suffer from symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, particularly, through the months of February and March.

I don’t know about you, but winter where I live is long!

The days are short, the nights go on forever, with cloud cover during many waking hours. We wake up in the dark and watch the sunset during dinner.

Dark, dark, and more dark!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is known as water time, a time for self-reflection, a time to ponder the future, honor your being, and ensure much needed nourishment for your mind, body and soul.

Modern medicine sees the major culprit as a depletion in our Vitamin D reserves. Less sunshine, less vitamin D.

Consequences of deficient vitamin D may include:

  • apathy
  • insomnia
  • tiredness
  • depression and anxiety
  • brain fog

While our society often regards sadness as a flaw or weakness, there are many holistic and alternative health practitioners who possess a quite different perspective.

How would you feel if someone told you that your depression was an imbalance, something wonderful in you that has yet to manifest. Something down deep, not yet acknowledged, but waiting for birth.

Many holistic healers hold this view.

Support for SAD can include:

  • meditation
  • walks in nature
  • herbal baths
  • time with good friends, pets, and family
  • journaling to nurture inner wisdom

Those dark days of winter can be used for reflection. You are germinating under the cold crisp snow.

What does that heart of yours really want?

Herbs to Uplift Your Spirit

St. John’s Wort, Rose, Lavender, Linden, Hawthorne

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Janice Tovey

My passion is writing. I also love reading, teaching, animals, nature, music, and humor. I am curious about everything and enjoy writing about all things.