Conquering the Winter Blues

Good news is we gain a little more sunlight each day this time of year, but there’s still a lot of winter left and that can be tough for adults and children alike.

FOX’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s ‘FOX on Family’:

After the holidays, the winter blues can set in; hard to stay upbeat, when it’s so cold, and dark:

(Dr. Alexis) “Because there is less sunlight, most of the time you feel tired because it’s 5 o’clock in the evening, but it looks like it’s 10 o’clock at night. There is this discordance.”

Family physician and father Dr. Isaac Alexis says children aren’t immune. So resist the urge to hibernate:

(Dr. Alexis) “I get my kids out to at least 20 minutes-30 minutes of walking with me each day. It helps their mood to improve.”

If it’s too cold to explore the forest or a local park, maybe a museum, or exercise the brain with a jigsaw puzzle. But parents should watch for signs of more serious issues:

(Dr. Alexis) “Not talking as much. You see decreased appetite. You may see them crying more frequently than usual.”

Or not wanting to play with friends. But if it’s just winter weighing them down, Dr. Alexis also recommends balanced meals with good protein and vitamin C, the kinds of things we should do all year round.

With Fox on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.

Dr. Isaac Alexis is a family physician and medical director of the Lifeline Addiction Center. You can also find him at Medicalwellness.blog. He says even in the winter sunlight promotes a feeling of wellness because of the light intensity it emits. Phototherapy lights are another option for boosting that during the winter in the home.