Michael Jesso's Fabulous, Derailed: Tips to Beat The Winter Blues

Every summer Fort McMurray is blessed with long summer days that turn into evenings with up to 21 hours of sunlight. The downside to our beautiful summers are the short winter days with only 6 hours of sunlight.

This year more than ever it seems people are really affected by the darkness. Every conversation I’ve had in the last three weeks has involved something to do with how people are feeling.

A heavy doom and gloom have appeared this year with people not sleeping, or sleeping too much, they’re moody, they’re not interested in doing anything, they’re fidgety, loss of appetite or eating too much and all signs point to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

While SAD can affect anyone, living in the cold dark north seems to amplify it 10 fold.

Here are some tips to beat the winter blues:

1. First up, you have to have mind over matter, tell yourself you’re going to beat this.

2. Get yourself a good vitamin D supplement to make up for the lack of sun. Stop at Popeyes and talk to Brad about supplements such as Greens to help balance out your diet.

3. Go for a walk. If it means you have to bundle up, do it, head around the block and try to stay out in the fresh air for at least 15-20 minutes. Go to different neighbourhoods or try different trails to change up the scenery.

4. Hit up MacDonald Island for a swim, at the very least you will think you’re in the tropics for an hour.

5. Make plans with friends and stick to them. I’m famous for making plans and then not going at the last minute because I’m moody. When I force myself to go it puts me back on track. Plan game nights at each other’s houses, go to bingo, bowling, golf simulators, and walk the track at Mac Island. I find SAD symptoms to be minute by minute and hour by hour. You just have to keep fighting it.

6. Here’s the big one. Tell your friends you’re down. Tell everyone. Make a post on Facebook letting people know you have the seasonal blues and want to stay active. Tell them to invite you to anything. Your friends are your support network and it takes a village in the winter. Check on each other.

7. Try Light Therapy, there are a number of lamps available on Amazon designed to help combat the lack of sunshine.

8. Try meditation apps with breathing exercises.

9. Keep this conversation going. Bring it up at team meetings, ask around the office, and write it down on your office whiteboard. A little networking on this could really save someone when they’re in the trenches.

Lastly, if you’re finding everything too overwhelming and you have thoughts of hopelessness or suicide, reach out to Some Other Solutions at 780-743-HELP (4357) Put that number in your phone, share that number with your friends, tell everyone that number. We are all on this Merry Go Round together so let’s make sure we all stay on the ride.

Congratulations to all the Top 50 Under 50 recipients.  I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and please make arrangements for rides while celebrating the festive cheer. Please don’t drink and drive.