Are You Solar Powered?
Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both - Pema Chodron
If you are solar powered like me, then you are probably struggling a little bit with winter right now.
Every winter I go through a period where I feel the pull towards my depressive tendencies - I feel melancholic, tearful, unmotivated and disinterested in things that normally bring me joy.
It is during these times that I remind myself that everything is impermanent and this too shall pass.
Seasonal Affective Disorder or the Winter Blues can affect many of us to some degree due to the decreased sunlight hours and its subsequent effect on neurotransmitters like Serotonin and Dopamine which help us feel good, motivated, fulfilled and joyful.
It takes effort and awareness during the winter months to actively seek out practices and tools that help to increase levels of Dopamine and Serotonin as well as a willingness to allow the full array of emotions knowing that just like the clouds in the sky, the cold winter snap, or the thunderstorm, that everything passes.
Decreased daylight hours also affects our circadian rhythm, increasing melatonin which can make us feel more sleepy and even less enthusiastic about leaping out of bed.
If you are feeling listless, unmotivated, tired or lacking in enthusiasm right now then these practices and tools are for you.
Serotonin
This is the neurotransmitter that helps us feel good, at ease, regulates sleep, increases our tolerance for pain and creates a sense of joy and fulfilment.
Sunlight is a precursor to the production of serotonin in the body along with various foods containing tryptophan and a healthy gut microbiome since 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain.
During winter there is less sunlight and thus our levels of serotonin drop. We often then crave surgery foods, simple carbohydrates which can disrupt our microbiome further dropping our production of serotonin.
To improve your serotonin production during winter try the following:-
Regular exercise - particularly exercise that has a rhythmic feel or helps you drop into a meditative state like running, walking, swimming, qi gong, and yoga. These practices also increase the production of endorphins.
Get outside, get sunlight on your skin and in your eyes. It helps with vitamin D, the production of serotonin, connecting to nature and the parasympathetic nervous system bringing us back to homeostasis.
Social engagement - it can be more challenging in winter to go out, meet friends, and interact socially, but this is so important for increasing serotonin and that feeling of connection. If there is a hug involved, even better as we get a release of oxytocin as well increasing pleasure, joy and connection.
Dancing - we were born to move and dancing has been part of how we have communicated for millennia. It has been postulated that dance was how we initially communicated before speech. It's a great way to get out of your head, move in a variety of ways, connect to music and release endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. In fact studies have shown that dancing, running and singing release the greatest levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids so they are perfect for these winter months.
Eat a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, sauerkraut or similarly fermented foods to help keep your gut microbiome healthy.
Dopamine
Dopamine is the reward and motivation molecule. During winter it can feel hard to want to get out of bed, to get things done.
If we spend too much time scrolling on our phones we can also disrupt the pleasure pain balance necessary with dopamine production.
In other words, too much scrolling can leave us feeling even more depressed and unmotivated as we tip the scales too far in one direction.
“The relentless pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain leads to pain.” For more information check out Dopamine Nation.
These practices are all beneficial for dopamine production and balance:-
Gratitude journaling. This practice has helped me the most over the last five years. Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative which can skew the lens with which we view the world. As Einstein wrote - “Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Gratitude journaling has been proven to disrupt our view of the world creating a new reality.
Cold Shower. I know this sounds like torture in the middle of a cold snap, but turning your shower to cold for the last 30sec or so is like a quick shot of coffee. Dopamine is tied to nor-adrenalin release and the sympathetic nervous system. Turning the shower to cold or taking a cold bath can help stimulate the release of both which can lift your motivation and mood. The fact that it's hard to do further increases the release of dopamine.
Jump in the ocean for the same reasons as above.
Pick up a new skill or hobby (like skating), something that requires a little bit of a challenge. Every time you accomplish a new skill or complete a task you get a little hit of dopamine. When you are immersed in an activity that is just outside your level of expertise it can also help elicit flow state which increases serotonin production.
Meditation, and Yoga Nidra - both of these practices help to increase levels of dopamine and meditation has been shown to also increase serotonin.
Check out this practice called Agni. It is all about stimulating more fire (agni) to increase energy, motivation and mood.
If you would like something more calming try this Gratitude Meditation.