Many people get excited about the changing leaves, cooler months, and holidays on the horizon. For some, colder, darker months bring seasonal depression. If you’re a trauma survivor, you might face this and more challenges on your healing journey.
You’re not alone in your experience and including yoga for seasonal depression is a perfect addition to your care plan. I welcome you to join me in this blog post so you can navigate the winter months with more ease and grace.
What Is Seasonal Depression?
It’s common for many people to experience feelings of low motivation during colder months, but for some, symptoms may be more serious. SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a type of depression that occurs during certain seasons. I’ll be addressing winter-pattern SAD for this post (some people experience depression in the summer months).
Symptoms Of Seasonal Depression
Below are a few common symptoms of seasonal depression. These don’t include symptoms related to major depressive disorder. I recommend you use this list as a reference only and speak with your care team for further information, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Oversleeping
- Overeating
- Weight gain
- Isolation
- Fatigue
Seasonal depression and trauma
Seasonal depression may cause symptoms of complex trauma to surface. Colder months might remind you of your trauma because of seasonal changes, like smells or temperatures. If your trauma occurred in the winter, these subtle changes may cause triggers.
I know for me personally, winter months are especially difficult on my healing journey. Depression sets in and my usual self-care routines become more difficult to start when I have little motivation. A self-care tool that supports me during these times is a consistent yoga practice.
I welcome you to include a yoga practice along with any additional support options that work for you and your healing.
How Can Yoga help manage depression?
While there is limited research on yoga and seasonal depression directly, there is evidence of yoga’s positive effects on other forms of depression. For example, this study showed eight weeks of Hatha yoga resulted in clinically significant reductions in mild to moderate depression.
Yoga’s focus on mindfulness, self compassion and gentle movement to ignite energy are a few ways yoga supports depression management. I welcome you to read these five yoga poses to manage depression for a more in-depth look into yoga for depression.
9 Tips: Yoga for seasonal depression
Let’s explore how you can prepare for the upcoming months with simple tools and strategies. I welcome you to look at this list as a buffet, meaning you can take what you want from this list and leave what you don’t. A practice that resonates with you is the best practice.
1. Journal
Journaling is one of the best ways to understand your trends, likes and dislikes. I invite you to journal after each yoga practice so you can better understand the techniques that work for you. Here are a few topics you might explore:
- Which poses, breathwork, classes, meditations gave you the most energy?
- When did you feel most present in your class today? Why do you think that is?
- Begin a class list of classes you feel you’d enjoy when you’re experiencing more depressive symptoms.
2. Begin your healthy habit planning now
If you’re even a little aware of your common feelings in the winter months (low motivation, lethargic, etc.) you have an advantage. This information can help you plan ahead before winter arrives.
For example, if you know you have most of your energy in the morning, you can adjust your schedule so you can instead practice yoga in this time slot.
Another benefit to this is understanding ahead of time when you might not be able to practice yoga. This will avoid judgment if you miss a day because of holiday stress or extra responsibilities.
3. Ground with the earth during yoga practices and meditations
The most effective way to ground is by going outside and having direct contact with the ground. Grounding aligns your energy by reconnecting with the earth. This four-week study shows that grounding helped participants increase their energy and decreased feelings of fatigue, depressed mood, tiredness and pain.
If it’s too cold for you to directly place your feet on the earth (which is understandable) , you can still ground inside and receive positive effects. I welcome you to notice the contact of your body on the ground. Maybe you notice the weight of your gravity on the mat or floor, and the sensations of the floor supporting you. This is a mindfulness exercise to bring you into the present moment, and this technique is perfect if you don’t prefer to use your breath in practices.
4. Create a list of supportive affirmations
The more you prepare now, the more effortless your practice will be when winter arrives (especially if you experience low motivation). I welcome you to use affirmations that speak to you and honor your trauma healing. Below are a few examples you are welcome to use:
- I am more than my emotions
- I am worthy of support
- I offer myself grace in difficult times
- I send myself love and kindness
- I take all the time I need
I invite you to explore this blog post for 49 healing chakra affirmations for more inspiration and ideas.
5. Add Light therapy to your practice
Light therapy, or a happy light, is a simple way to add impact to your practice. These lights are specially desgined to resemble outdoor light, and this study shows they improve seasonal depression and other symptoms.
Most light box instructions recommend thirty minutes of exposure, and have your eyes open but don’t look directly into the light.
These lights came in handy when I lived in Alaska and only had seven hours of sun per day during winter months. Of course, it’s no replacement for the actual sun, but I did notice a positive difference in my mood once I added these lights to my daily routine.
I recommend you add a light to your morning yoga practice. You receive the benefits of your practice and effects of the light. The optimal time for light therapy is in the morning (nighttime might make it difficult for you to sleep).
I recommend you speak with your care team before including these lights in your practice because they are not beneficial for people with certain conditions.
6. Include essential oils
Essential oils are derived from plants that serve multiple purposes, one of them being aromatherapy. These are not meant to cure diseases or be used as a standalone treatment, but some research suggests certain oils have a positive effect on symptoms of depression.
I recommend you only add essential oils to your yoga practice if you enjoy them and they provide a relaxing yoga practice for you.
I welcome you to supplement your yoga practice with these essential oils to manage depression and uplift your mood:
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Yuzu
- Sweet orange
- Sage
- Spanish Sage
When looking for essential oils, look for oils labeled as organic and pure (not synthetic). Synthetic is a good choice if you only want the perfume smell of the oil (without any potential benefits listed above).
When using these for your yoga practice, I welcome you to use a diffuser in a well-ventilated room, and avoid applying them directly to your skin.
7. Invite friends And family to join your Yoga practice
Enhance your yoga practice by inviting friends, family, or even coworkers to join you. One symptom of seasonal depression mentioned before is isolation. Inviting extra people in your yoga practice is a simple way to foster community and prevent isolation and hibernation.
8. Send yourself compassion
None of these tips will be beneficial if you are your unkind to yourself. I know how hard it can be to practice self compassion and allow rest, especially if you’re used to living and working at a higher tempo. I welcome you to look at this tip as a practice, more than something to force upon yourself. You deserve to take your time, allow your emotions, skip a day (or three), and start again with a kind heart.
Some days will flourish, and others you’ll wonder why you keep showing up on the mat. I welcome you to acknowledge when judgment arises, and gently let that thought pass. Self-compassion will always get you further in your yoga practice compared to pushing through.
9. Consider Adding additional support
Yoga teaches you how to understand yourself and your needs. This also includes knowing when yoga is not enough to manage your symptoms. I believe this is the most important tip because I believe a well-rounded care plan is the best care plan.
My support page lists resources to explore this option. Including extra support options now might benefit you, so that everything is set in place once winter arrives.
Overview
Seasonal depression is a reality for many trauma survivors, but there are ways to use the power of yoga and additional resources to transform darker days into lighter ones. It might be tempting to push through these months, neglecting self-care. I welcome you to remember: You are always worthy of rest. You don’t need to earn it.
This post gave you nine tips to include or supplement to your yoga practice if you are experiencing seasonal depression. I welcome you to use or exclude as many of these tips as you like, and know that adding as many additional support avenues to your practice is always welcome. I wish you the best on your healing journey as you cultivate your care plan. Take care.
