While it’s the season traditionally associated with joy, we are also officially in the heart of winter and the change of season means changes to daily routines in response to the colder temperatures and shorter days.
We might not feel as motivated to get in our morning exercise because it’s still dark out, or boredom might set in if our days regularly included gardening, going for walks, and other summer-inspired outdoor activities. For these reasons, winter can bring on mental health concerns such as depression; a direct result of season affective disorder (SAD).
According to the Canadian Psychological Association, “It is estimated that SAD makes up 10% of all reported cases of depression. Approximately 15% of Canadians will report at least a mild case of SAD in their lifetime, while 2-3% will report serious cases. People with a family history of any form of depression may also be at risk of developing SAD, and Canadians are particularly at risk, as we have decreased sunlight during the winter months.”
So what to do during the dreary winter season?
How Practicing Mindfulness Can Help You Through Winter
Incorporating mindfulness into your day takes practice. It involves being fully present in the moment mind, body, and spirit. In order to achieve such full-being awareness, whole-body listening, being conscious of your surroundings and actions, and sometimes touch or meditative mantras can help.
Practicing mindful moments this may, where you intentionally engage with whatever you’re doing or whomever you’re with, can help you lessen panic or anxiety by increasing your awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and physical body.
Senior Mindfulness exercises
- Winter calls for more light! A few options are: Move your reading chair closer to a window, buy battery-operated candles on timers so that as soon as the sun goes down the interior illuminates, and switch to incandescent light bulbs.
- Reduce screen time and your exposure to blue light, especially right before bedtime. Neither “doomscrolling” on social media or the blue light devices give off are healthy.
- Regular exercise. If walking outdoors isn’t an option due to the cold and icy temps, try gentle stretching, yoga for seniors, or going to a community center to engage in exercise indoors. Our Verve Senior Living residences offer amenities for our seniors to keep up a daily routine.
- A nutritious diet that feeds the body what it needs, while fueling the spirit through mindful preparation and focused enjoyment.
- A healthy bedtime routine for restful sleep so you can wake feeling invigorated, free of brain cloud that comes from not enough sleep.
- Practicing gratitude daily to appreciate all moments for what they bring to our lives; the good and the challenging.
- Journaling to gain perspective and maintain cognitive functioning.
Advantages of mindfulness for seniors:
- Enhanced concentration, memory, and cognitive abilities
- Improved consciousness and general mental wellbeing
- Decreased risk of heart disease, stress, and anxiety
- Improved circulation and digestion
- Better ability to tolerate discomfort
- The possibility for better sleep
- Generally a more upbeat attitude towards life resulting in a more joyful mood
Placing a specific focus on every activity you do and while engaging with others will enhance those moments, bringing new meaning to your day. With practice, finding the “good side” thus becomes easier as new perspectives are opened up to us through that practice, inspiring more good things in the process until eventually, being joyful becomes second nature.
