
Written By: Leah Liu, MCP, Registered Clinical Counsellor
How’s your autumn been so far? Although the warm weather and the sun have stayed with us much longer this year, the days are nevertheless, getting shorter and shorter, and the darkness and cold are coming!
Are you ready for winter?
It is common for some of us to feel the winter blues. Here’s a quick check so see if you’ve experienced the winter blues in the past.
If you have experienced some of the above symptoms, you may have the winter blues. Notice the cycle that drives it:
Over time with this cycle, your negative thoughts get reinforced, your blue mood intensifies, your energy level drops, and you end up doing fewer enjoyable activities. This never-ending loop may make you feel worse and worse over the season.
Now that you understand this vicious cycle, want to know how to break it?
Here are 4 steps you can take to cope with the winter blues:
1. Identify your thoughts
First, start notice your thoughts. Here are some common unhelpful thoughts people have during the winter:
To identify your own unhelpful thoughts, you can write a thought diary to track your thoughts, and find the common themes about your unhelpful thoughts.
2. Evaluate your thoughts
Ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your thoughts:
If you see words like the following in your automatic thoughts, question them:
3. Build a new thought
After evaluating your thoughts, you can build a new thought to replace the original one.
It’s not necessary to come up with overly positive new thoughts (and you can’t be convinced anyway). Instead, come up with a rational response that is more realistic and believable, so you can accept it.
Some new thoughts could be:
4. Plan pleasurable activities
Finally, if you feel blue, make an effort to cheer yourself up. Plan at least one fun and pleasurable activity each day that makes you feel good and happy.
Here are some ideas:
Now that you have this tool, you will have an easier time with the winter blues this year. The more you practice these steps, the more you will feel confident to beat the winter blues!
To get more support with your winter blues, contact us at Brentwood Counselling Centre today.
Reference:
Kelly J Rohan. (2008). Coping with the seasons: A cognitive behavioral approach to seasonal affective disorder, therapist guide. OUP USA.
For over 20 years, Brentwood Counselling Centre has been offering counselling and therapy services for individuals, couples, relationships, marriages, families, and groups, serving clients from Burnaby, Vancouver, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, and beyond.
All therapists at Brentwood Counselling Centre have extensive education and training in their areas of practice. Furthermore, they are all registered for clinical practice in BC and adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines as set out by their corresponding governing body.
For more information about our therapists and their areas of practice, please email our office at info@brentwoodcounselling.com. Or click here to view our therapists’ profile, contact them directly, and request an appointment.