Managing winter blues
Every winter, I get a bout of the winter blues, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In the past, I tried to manage this by planning a tropical getaway for mid-February. That burst of warm weather and sunshine can usually get me through to late March when the weather improves in the northeastern US. This year, due to COVID restrictions, I stayed at home. However, I have felt better than in past years due to a combination of supplements, light therapy, exercising outdoors, and engaging in generally healthy habits. Now that the end of winter is in sight, I can almost declare victory against SAD for the 2020-2021 season. In terms of SAD supplements, I take 5,000 IU of vitamin D-- daily? I aim for daily, but sometimes I miss a day here or there. I also take calcium, magnesium, B12, and iron, but not specifically as part of my SAD regimen. In the mornings, around 7am, I sit in front of my SAD light therapy lamp for 20-30 minutes. I purchased this Verilux HappyLight with 10,000 l
