Mental health is a topic that is finally getting the healthy attention and discussion that it deserves in many circles.   Did you know that for most of us, physical health is the cornerstone of our mental health?   Our lives are an integrated system and if you let one of the pillars of this system start to crumble, needless to say, the whole structure becomes compromised.

Wikipedia defines Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as “a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn year after year.”   In Canada, most of us find that this tends to manifest in our lives around this time of year and we casually refer to it as ‘The February Blahs.’  According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, only 2-3% of us in Ontario would be categorized as having full-on SAD and ‘another 15% have a less severe experience described as the “winter blues.”

The great news is that treatments for these less severe cases can often be as simple as getting up and getting yourself moving.  We are lucky in Ontario this year: the weather that might normally contribute more to this phenomenon has been unusually sunny and warm.   The opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy some sunshine and physical activity have never been more abundant than they have been this winter.

Get outside and get moving!

So here is the thing: if you notice yourself feeling a little bit out of sorts, maybe your sleep and appetite are not what they should be – take action!   How many other maladies in life can be treated with something so pleasureable as a hike in the woods, skating on a lake or even splitting some firewood?   It is your life, folks: get out and enjoy it!

How have YOU been taking advantage of this warm winter?   Let us know in the comments section below…