How to beat WINTER blues | Mental Health Awareness | Bushcraft | Seasonal Affective Disorder

Raising Mental Health Awareness- Some tips and hints for how you can beat the winter blues .

[OehlJim]

Having an energetic dog is a huge help, as the requirement of walking your dog gets you outdoors and into a healthy routine.

[anxen]

I suffer very badly with SAD when not living in the countryside, it's a urban living disease of having to go into office before light and not going home until dark.

[ollie]

When we realise we are talking to ourselves in ways we’d never dream of talking to anyone else; then we can see the need to be kinder to ourselves.

[oldbaldguy]

I've just got back to work after being off for 3 weeks with depression. SAD is not usually a problem but this year and with everything over the last year and a half it was an overload for me. First thing I did was get out hiking all day with a mate, made a world of difference! Still a work in progress but it's going forward 👍

[Petestleger]

As a sufferer of chronic depression, yes yes yes. Keep an eye on yourself, be honest with yourself, ask others who you trust how they think you're doing, get whatever help and guidence you can as soon as you can. I don't, and it gets messy. Thank you Nick for highlighting this.

[markevans]

I’m originally from Ireland and now live in the US Midwest. I dread the day we put the clocks back ! Winter in Iowa can be absolutely brutal compared to the British isles. I have found it harder and harder each winter but getting out with my dogs is a savior and finding beauty in each season is crucial. The natural world is the best TV show.

[fistsmcnasty]

I've just spent the last week wallowing. I wasn't sure what it was, but you've just hit the nail on the head. I'm gonna go for a walk!

[linedwell]

I started a new job recently.
It's in a store house, no windows, no green, just concrete and computers.
Before that, I would be in the woods 4 out of 7 days, I'm struggling tbh. I miss the woods, the tarp, the twig stove, my Trangia, the wind, the sun, the rain, the smells, the cold, the heat. So on and so on.

I should be happy right now, new job, new people, more cash... but my thoughts are in the woods...

It makes no sense to me and I don't know of it's SAD or if I'm just melancholy.

[rosehippyguy]

Its affected me for all of my adult life and I'm almost 50. I get out with my dogs as often as I can, around nature and it really does help. I used to wild camp a lot, in all seasons but hindered now with a back injury. Still gotta get out there folks. Much love to all of my beautiful brothers and sisters out there 👊💜👊

[JoelAaargh]

Not something I've particularly felt affected by - with a dog, two young kids and a lovely wood nearby I've no excuses not to be out every day - but I've certainly had low periods and know the importance of actively striving to improve your own mindset. These videos are so important, thanks for keeping them coming 👍🏻

[fredrikandreasson]

Really important video. There are thousands of videos about making fire in rain and finding water in the desert. Happy to find how to bushcrafting mental health. Living in Sweden I got plenty of light in summer and so much darkness in winter. For me it's the periods when everything changes, autumn and spring, that can be a challenge. I usually have some weeks in October-November and in March-April when my mind is really affected. Since I got my dog a few years ago I feel much better. I have always been an outdoor person, but my dog needs exercise every single day. It has helped me a lot. Thanks for a great video

[PixelMind]

I realised in my 20s that I suffered with SAD, and my life at the time was very indoor/urban based. I tried using a sad lamp, but didn’t find much benefit from it. On turning 30, I began volunteering in environmental conservation, and this lead on to working outdoors for a living, year round in all weathers, within that sector. During that time I barely, if ever, felt the effects of SAD because my life was completely outdoor based, soaking up every bit of daylight. Sadly at the age of 37, life threw me a curveball when I randomly suffered a brain haemorrhage while at work. Thankfully I survived, but recovery has been slow, and I have been left with chronic fatigue, severe anxiety (possibly PTSD) and depression. Although I still tried to get out for walks with the kids, the fatigue massively reduced my energy levels, and my ability to do this. Definitely the winters have been much more difficult again with the return of the effects of SAD. Now, aged 41, I feel like I may be starting to emerge from the other side of this episode in life. Fatigue still haunts me, but is gradually loosening its grip over time. I don’t yet feel like I can get back out and keep up with the responsibility, reliability and expectations of employment, however building on my prior outdoor experience and skills, I have been enjoying learning and exploring bushcraft activities, nature walks, occasional camping, geocaching, foraging and herbalism with my kids. Life is slower now, as I have no choice but to listen to my body, but I think that is a good thing! Possibly one of the big lessons I have needed to learn from this whole experience. One that society as a whole needs to learn, I believe. Being able to get out more has been working wonders for my well-being again, and watching your videos, Nick, has been a great inspiration to our family. So thanks for all that you do! Cheers!

[ksturmer]

One of the best things I ever did was to get a Siberian Husky for my PTSD. I now, have to get my arse outside in wind, rain, snow and ice and I absolutely LOVE it!!! Walking, camping and being at peace when you are outside, is priceless. Great video, Nick!

[FidoHouse]

Love the statement, "No bad weather, just bad clothing". We're good at planning layers for hot and cold, but often forget to plan for the wet so that we can make being outside in rain and grey more pleasant.

History of chronic depression, with SAD superimposed while living in far north, (Yukon). Medication helped with underlying depression. Grow lights in my home's windows for my plants, set on timers to help me get started in the mornings and last longer in the evenings were a huge help. When I retired at 60 I left the Yukon because I had no desire to be trying to figure out how to pay the heating bills on a pension, nor spending my time twiddling my thumbs in the dark. Now I travel as a fulltime RVer and, (as borders open), spend more of winter farther south. Just last winter I graduated off of the antidepressants but must pay attention to taking Vitamin B Complex supplements to manage anxiety and periods of inertia. I also have had canine companions for many years - two to 12 at a time - and they have certainly helped save me from myself, "guilting" me into going outside, at least to take them for walks, if not for myself. And I'm always surprised how much better I feel after having been out - even on the greyist of days. Really makes a difference.

Great video. Really appreciate all you've said.

Cheers from southern Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦

[Tykepaints]

Thanks Nick - SAD is something I’ve experienced to varying degrees for a while but never knew what it was until recently. I didn’t understand why my mood got low and I let myself go over the winter. This meant I got angry and frustrated with myself which then just became an endless cycle of negative thinking. I found SAD isn’t taken as seriously as it should be because what so many don’t appreciate (I was one of those people) is how it can act as a trigger for more serious problems such as depression.

[albertmarti]

Great points brought up. Since I moved from the countryside to the city a couple years ago SAD has really been hitting hard.
The only caveat is that you gave an example for people who drive cars. For the last few years, I've been commuting on my bike and I can tell you that no amount of waterproof gear makes biking in the rain enjoyable. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

[trevorday]

As ever Nick, great vid with great insight and sharing. Got out bush last weekend and was the 1st time in a long time more than 6 hrs sleep. What a recharge! Spring here in Aus, so great time of year with late showers & storms and people often ask, “but what if it rains?” My answer, “either strip down and soap up or put a raincoat on, it’s not rocket science” Keep ‘em coming mate!

[banksarenotyourfriends]

Couldn't agree more about resetting your perspective being key to your general happiness. I find focusing on my favourite things about the winter, and trying to be grateful for them really helps - e.g. when I'm camping in winter there's no ticks, there are fewer interruptions from other people when I'm out, there's no ticks, there's less wildfire risk, there's no ticks, the darker nights make the stars more impressive, there's no ticks... etc ;)

[createlovehappy]

Real talk. Well done! I’ve been in this fight for decades. Now got cancer to deal by with as well. Self care is on a whole new level. Every bite I eat, sleep, fresh air, playtime, all of it helps. Walking is so good for me. I relate to all you are saying here. Thank you.

[FloridaPete]

Great presentation Nick! I moved to the Flathead Valley in NW Montana 20 years ago at age 54. I was warned before moving here by a friend who'd lived in the valley for decades about the dreaded winter "inversions" that the valley experienced frequently during the dead of winter(nominally, November-March). These inversions sometimes last for several weeks. During an inversion, the already short days will be very overcast--dark grey thick low clouds. Temperatures will drop to -10C to -5C and STAY there for several weeks! And not vary more than a couple degrees. And it drives many new residents, especially those from "sunny climates" like California, into serious depression. So locals aren't surprised when April comes and see a procession of U-Haul trailers leaving town headed back to sunnier climates.

Being forewarned I was never really bothered by the "bad weather". And I born, raised, and lived in the mild climates of Florida and Virginia. Winter here is certainly much harsher than Virginia, but I embraced it by taking up snowshoeing and recently cross country skiing. Good exercise and opened up more terrain for my landscape photography hobby. That and I've always been a hunter. Successful hunt or not, there's nothing like "creeping" around in the forest when it's -10C and snowing! :) So I'm outdoors all year long doing "something" in the 10's of thousands of acres of the surrounding wilderness. I just spent this past weekend on a "spur of the moment" tent camping trip to do some photography. I took the wrong tent(single wall ultralight) of my many tents, AND the wrong sleeping bag(rated -5C) LOLOL I coped pretty well even though the temp dropped to about -9C 😎
A heavy frost and frozen condensation coating the inside and out of my tent weren't pleasant, but I knew I'd be ok since, as I'm nearly always a solo camper, I came "prepared". Sorry to run on but you are so right! Getting OUTDOORS is healthy and invigorating . Go guys and gals, Get outside and get happy!! pete USN 1968-74