SAD- observations and stuff

[mizarchivist]

So, from fall to fall, I vaguely note my decline in energy, my frustration with the unremitting dark- especially when it gets to the point of dark when I leave the house, dark when I come home. Like now.  This season after hearing other people's discussion of how Seasonal Affective is attached to that whole low motivation thing that goes with hibernation- and I really felt it. No help that the work here at the library had been beyond dull for me. That can happen in  June, so that's not the only excuse.

SO! the Salem Santas plotted and delivered an early Christmas present of a dawn simulator alarm clock, which I've been using for a whole 4 days now. I've also renewed my efforts and plan to go to the gym 3x a week. So, I've now been to the gym 2 of those 4 days. It may be a complete fluke or a placebo, I dunno, but my energy for the past two days has been nigh on manic- just ask my co-workers.  I sincerely hope that it's not a fluke, although dialed back a few degrees.

I will say, it's super-sweet to be able to set the alarm differently for every day of the week! That makes going to the gym in the mornings one step easier, too. Since SAD therapy proponents say that you ought soak up about 20 min. of extra-special light as early in the morning as possible, I set my sunrise for 30 minutes. It seemed the only way to be sure to be consistant about it.  It's very light, so if I was going away for a while, I could theoretically bring it with me. Rather compact. It came with cords that let you plug into non-US plugs, too. I assume one's UK and one's Continental Europe? LEDs mean that it's not as delicate as some other lights, and low-impact w/ juice-sucking.

I doubt I'll be going on and on and on about this after today, but I needed to at least mark the change. I may filter this into health/gym since it sort of fits there if I am wrong about the blathering.

Comments

[drwex]

*leaves a pebble*

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

Oh, I will follow these developments closely as it may be totally worth it to me.

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the new alarm clock is working for you. I'm going to have to pick one up soon - my old daylite alarm clock really isn't working as well as I'd like.

I've also noticed a huge difference in my mood and productivity since I started taking 1000mg of vitamin D3 along with some B-complex; I'm taking a couple of other things too, but those two particularly have made a really noticeable difference.

[mizarchivist]

Ok, thanks! I'll try that out. Anything that's low impact and low chemical, if you know what I mean.

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

No problem. I've been dealing with it for over a decade, and this is the first year that I feel I've actually got it kinda wrangled.

There's a good book called "Food & Mood" by Elizabeth Somer you also might want to check out - she's got a whole chapter dedicated to SAD. My eating habits change hardcore in winter, so it was worth looking at her suggestions.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to check out one of those clocks for a long time--I have serious trouble getting up in the morning in winter. I drag my sorry self out of bed at 7:30 in winter after snoozing the alarm for an hour, but in the summer I'm happily hopping out of bed at 6:15 with no problem. Glad to hear it's working for you! Need to look into that.