Beating the Winter Blues

It's easy to let the winter blues get the best of you, especially in West Michigan. We look to combat the winter blues by focusing on your emotional, mental, and physical health.

The gray skies and lack of sunlight that come with Michigan winters can really take a toll on your mood and The American Academy of Family Physicians have a name for it -- It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or the "winter blues".

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 4 to 6 percent of US residents suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, this does not include individuals who experience SAD symptoms, but are not actually diagnosed.

Amy Ritsema, co-owner of OnSite Wellness joined the weekend morning news with a few tips on how to beat the winter blues:

Emotionally overcoming SAD:

• Weekly check-ins
• Mindfulness exercises
• Surround yourself with people who make you happy

Nutritionally overcoming SAD:

• Don’t stress eat
• Take your vitamins such as Vitamin D
• Eat in-season foods! (squash, citrus, avocado, cauliflower etc.)

Physically overcoming SAD:

• Give your eyes a break from the computer screen – go outside as a group. Take a workplace outing to a local ski hill, ice rink, or go snow shoeing.
• Always take a lunch break and incorporate walking into your daily routine.
• Start a team workout challenge

On-Site Wellness is located at 3020 Charlevoix Dr SE in Grand Rapids. You can learn more about them on their website.

Winter blues making you feel overwhelmed with stress and anxiety? Check out our other blog post "Wave Goodbye To Worry" below:

https://blog.onsitewellnessllc.com/wave-goodbye-to-worry