How to Beat the Winter Blues: Tips for Seniors in Oklahoma City

The gray mornings in Oklahoma City can really bring down your mood. According to Time and Date AS, Oklahoma City gets almost five hours less daylight during the shortest winter days than it gets in June. The sudden drop in daylight during winter can dampen mood, sap energy, and unsettle sleep for many seniors, but you can counter the winter blues with morning light, consistent routines, exercise, and regular social contact.

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to experiencing a lowered mood during the wintertime. Thankfully, there are plenty of winter wellness tips that enable effective mood support for seniors to beat the winter blues.

Are you interested in learning more about how local seniors can do so? Read on to learn more about this crucial factor in emotional wellness in aging.

What Does Winter Blues Mean?

Winter blues isn't a medical diagnosis, but it's something most people here in OKC are familiar with. When the nights get longer and colder, and winter comes around again, people might experience the following:

• Less motivation: People experiencing the winter blues might feel less motivated to get things done, particularly tasks that can be put off until later.
• Dip in mood: Winter blues can also make people feel low and depressed, although it's not quite as serious as clinical depression.
• Less energy: Winter blues make people feel lethargic and tired.

The winter blues usually begin around late fall, peaking in midwinter. While winter blues shares similarities with certain mental illnesses, it's important to realize the difference.

Are Winter Blues a Real Thing?

When looking to beat the winter blues, people often confuse it with seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression, is similar, but the symptoms are much more disruptive and longer-lasting.

According to Dr. Maria Khan, seasonal depression is listed as a subtype of major depressive disorder in the DSM-5, which is the diagnostic manual most doctors use to evaluate mental health symptoms.

Here's some more detail on how seasonal affective disorder differs from winter blues:

• Life disruption: Seasonal affective disorder can be incredibly debilitating, leaving people unable to function during the fall and winter.
• Consistent pattern: Seasonal affective disorder disrupts functioning every year for at least two years in a row.
• Medication treatment: Serious seasonal depression is a form of major depressive disorder and often requires treatment via antidepressants and similar medications.
• Recurring pattern: When someone suffers for a long time, seasonal depression patterns tend to follow a predictable trajectory.

In contrast, the winter blues are like a light version. There's some overlap, but the winter blues aren't serious enough to warrant a formal diagnosis. But that doesn't mean the winter blues aren't real; it's best to consider it a subclinical version of seasonal depression.

What Is the Best Remedy for Winter Blues?

Unlike seasonal affective disorder, which frequently requires medical treatment, the winter blues are something seniors in Oklahoma City can beat on their own. Often, seniors feel low during the colder months because of the following:

• Reduced time in daylight: Shorter days, cold weather, and fewer outdoor events mean people spend less time out in the sun.
• Less social contact: These conditions also mean people see less of each other.
• Disrupted routines: Hobbies, social groups, and exercise plans become harder, or even impossible, to keep up with.

Often, treating the blues is as simple as making an active effort to exercise, visit friends, and attend local events.

Given that seasonal affective disorder isn't a formal medical diagnosis, there's no catch-all treatment. The seasonal blues affect everyone differently, but generally speaking, getting more sunlight, exercise, and social contact can work wonders for improving mood.

Local seniors should look for seasonal affective disorder relief by taking part in assisted living activities or by joining local clubs and organizations. Seniors who don't notice an improvement in symptoms after a few weeks of trying some of these solutions should talk to their doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does It Mean to Beat the Blues?

Beating the blues isn't like beating an "official" mental condition like major depressive disorder. There isn't any single definition of what it means to beat the winter blues; as with most other emotional wellness in aging approaches, it all comes down to the individual.

For more extroverted seniors who thrive on social interaction, beating the blues might mean spending more time with friends and family. Others might be more concerned with their internal experience. For these seasonal depression sufferers, feeling better is all about mood improvement.

If you're suffering from the winter blues, figure out what's bothering you, and work out a plan of action to address it.

How Can I Tell if It's SAD or Just Winter Blues?

If your mood swings endure for weeks or months, obviously disrupt your day-to-day activities, and occur regularly during most winters, you may have seasonal affective disorder. Winter blues tend to be shorter, milder, and responsive to more daylight, activity, and social interaction. When in doubt, get a clinical assessment so a professional can confirm the pattern and tailor care such as light therapy, CBT, medication, or a combination.

What Is the Toughest Month of SAD?

According to Anna Zannides, the most depressing month of the year is January. The holiday season is over, reducing the opportunity for spending quality time with friends and family. Daylight hours are short, and the weather is poor.

These conditions sap motivation and energy, but leading a sedentary life only worsens symptoms. The best way to fight back is to establish strong winter routines in November or December.

Beat the Winter Blues Through Community

As you can see, local seniors can beat the winter blues through social contact, getting enough daylight, and trying to be more social. For seniors who live alone, this is often easier said than done.

The lives of isolated seniors aren't easy, and their struggles are only amplified during the cold winter months. Thankfully, local senior living communities can help. Here at Morada Southridge, we don't let our residents tide out the winter alone.

Our supportive assisted living packages ensure our residents' needs are taken care of. With the support of our dedicated wellness teams, there's always someone available to help alleviate the winter blues.

Interested in seeing our community-focused assisted living for yourself? Contact us today to schedule a tour.