How to beat winter depression / seasonal affective disorder - Professional Wild Child

Do you feel less energized and do you want to sleep A LOT in winter time? You might suffer from winter depression / Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.); just like me! Here's what works for me and how we will beat the depression this winter together!

I am here to help you heal.

Find me on:

Book recommendations:

Music thanks to:

Music thanks to: Cabu - 'Same Old'

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Hello my beautiful friends! Welcome to my YouTube channel! My name is Zoë, which stands for LIFE. Exactly what I'm trying to do in it: LIVING IT! I'm a practical free spirit, trying to get zen in a chaotic world. The rock 'n roll baby, the free festival child - from sandy beaches to city streets. Amsterdam is my homebase, the world is my playground. On this channel I share vlogs of my (digital nomad & travel) life and talking videos to optimize our mind, body & soul.

I honestly appreciate every one of you looking at my videos. Thank you for that! I find YouTube an amazing tool to connect and have interaction. Let's please try to stay positive, send out a good message and be kind to each other.

Who am I?

[fearghadecleirnichiannaigh]

This video is so helpful! Ive been so afraid of winter coming this year because last winter was really bad for me, so this video was so comforting

[nathanjw]

I am always cold. Going outside in anything below 70 makes me miserable.

[bugidiboo]

Waking up and being alive is not something I'm happy about

[ADEehrh]

When I feel sad; I buy a big bag of seedless grapes then sit in a lawnchair on my lawn & theow the grapes at people passing by. Makes me feel good everyrime. But they have to be green seedless grapes! (;

[lisjanacelaj]

ADVICES MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:
1. Write down what you're grateful for
2. Meditate
3. Take in your vitamins
4. Light therapy
5. Mind your sleeping rythm
6. Go outside
7. Find warmth
8. Be warm!

[samira]

I watched sooo many yt videos about how to overcome winter depression but I can't even do these things because my body is soo lazy and fatigue

[lealea]

Severe SAD = my advice as a sufferer =THE only thing that helps is going to a country with sunshine during the winter period :D

[neveralonewithnaturerainbo]

Yeah just want to hibernate for the winter.. humans get the short straw... animals are lucky they can hibernate and have no dictation over them!

[charmingrussianlanguageand]

oh, this video came in such a right moment! I'm now in the middle of such a fall/winter depression. I wake up with difficulties, have got a cold for the second time this season, get exhausted too quickly. So thank you for such handy advice! Hope something of those will help me;)

[kellyreinhart]

Great video and so important with winter time coming! In line with the sauna suggestion, one thing I love to do during colder months is go to hot yoga classes. Not only does it warm me way up, but I also feel invigorated and energized from doing yoga, so it's a win-win for me.
Hope your new light, along with all your other tricks, work out this winter!

[PeeGeeThirteen]

Today winter blues hit me like a wall... and I stumble on this video! Thanks for the tips!

[LoriWattnz]

I love having a relaxing bath during winter, fire is good, and herbal teas.

[Natalie-rldq]

I have really been struggling so your video gives me hope and a plan. Thank you! <3

[marleneferrer]

Really nice video, I don’t have winter Blues, but I suffer from Depression, and sometimes I just wake up feeling sad for no reason, so I enjoy your video because even we don’t have the same I understand how some people may feel on winter, I like the tip of the vitamins, also wanted to say that I Learned to control my depression ! I like the way you open to us because that makes you so humble to me 💞

[Yesica]

I never thought S.A.D. was a real thing. I thought it was all in my head. I'm a "be tough and just ignore/deal with it" type of person. I grew up in Chicago where cold, dark winters are normal. I also don't seem to feel as cold as other people do. Bad weather doesn't seem to hold me back like it does other people. If I want to go somewhere, I go, regardless of how cold or how much snow/ice there is. I've gone to work literally in a blizzard! It never occurred to me to stay home. I wasn't told not to come to work, so I assumed I had to go. I also cannot STAND to be inside. I NEED outside air, even just for a few minutes because it's below zero!

All of that said, I have come to believe there must be something physical going on. It can't be all in my head. I would get so, so, SO depressed and felt closed-in and panicky and exhausted all the time. I'm not generally a morning person but getting up in the dark/cold of winter is such a chore compared to summer/spring.

Now I have serious life/family/health issues that are ongoing and not fixable, so I am already feeling sick and depressed all the time.

I am terrified about this coming winter. We change the clocks back this coming Saturday night, so it will be getting dark around 4:30. I don't have money for one of those lights right now. (I would want one that wakes you up. That is the hardest part of the day for me!) I don't know how I'm going to be able to drag myself out of bed and take care of all my responsibilities, on top of this winter depression.

I am terrified.

[andyhousley]

I can say from experience that daily gratitude and meditation/ deep breathing work to improve mood. For me exercise is the most important aspect though. I’ve not used light therapy but I’ve had good results in the past just from a session in a sun shower/bed. Apparently this doesn’t even provide the right type of light but it does help certain people. I think it’s the overall warmth on your skin as well as the light. Also, just relaxing without distraction.
With regards deep breathing I can highly recommend Wim Hof!

[olliemolly]

Looll I had no idea you lived in the NLs. Just typed in how to cope with cold weather and ur video came up. I feel you my friend. I FEEL YOU. Thanks for the advice 💙

[kristina]

Hey Zoe, nice video!
Winter is good time for watching movies or doing yoga in studios, going to theater, reading books while aromatherapy with essential oils, discovering variety of teas... For me it works very nicely :)

[learningtobeme]

One of my favorite parts of winter is getting to wear snuggly layers. Also, I love heavy blankets, so that is another bonus of the cold weather season. Layers and heavy blankets are so relaxing, like a hug.

Another winter blues or winter blahs tip, remember to stay social. I am a natural hermit, and in winter time I hibernate. During the holidays season it's easy to be social, every other weekend someone is hosting a gathering. But after January, once the parties are over and the festive distraction has passed, you should really make a goal of face-to-face meet up with friends and family. Maybe meet for a walk or a breakfast at someone's house, just get some proximity time with people that you enjoy. And call people, set up a day and time with a few awesome humans and maintain that standing appointment. You can wash dishes and sweep the floor while on the phone, chores will be easier when you are distracted anyway. And the standing commitment to another person helps to give purpose and a bit of structure to your week. Yeah, don't forget to stay social. We are a clan species after all!

[nathanjw]

For me the only thing that works is long vacations somewhere tropical.