The winter season tends to be a mixed bag for everybody.
Some become excited about holidays and more social. Some become depressed and retreat. Some become stressed and face anxiety in large doses.
If you are in the first category, that’s great! The ability to maintain and nourish happiness is so important, especially during winter months, as well as annually snowy areas which lack sunlight exposure (reminder, we need Vitamin D to promote the feel goods).
Holidays and the winter season can take a lot of our personal energy and resources. Some of us face what is known as Seasonal Affliction Disorder, or SAD, as its acronym so aptly states.
While I’m not here to offer any therapeutic advice or counseling, what I am presenting is the query on how we address it, including potential options to break you & your loved ones out of the morbs (it’s an Irish term for sad feels).
SAD can be another layer of WTF in our already disrupted routines during winter. How so?
It can cause or increase levels of pre-existing depression, isolation, de-motivation, anxiety, insomnia or hypersomnia, appetites or lack thereof, and more. You get the point, if you haven’t experienced these symptoms already.
So much to hooray about right? Oy, I know.
All the same, if there’s one thing that I’ve seen as a common denominator as someone who faces this every year alongside countless others, it’s that the antidote to these problems is often the very thing we strive to avoid, which is social interaction and wellness routines. If you don’t believe me, go thumb through some articles on Psychology Today – they’ll say the same thing.
Granted, social literacy is a whole other layer unto itself. I get it; as someone who is neurodivergent, human interaction can be complex to say the least. But, what I do entreat you with is that the right people will embrace you, irregardless of the mood or state of mind you find yourself in.
In terms of wellness and fitness, recordings from decades of scientific studies have shown again and again that even 10 or 15 minutes of walking a few times a week can assist in reducing bodily and mental stress in most cases.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road: Physical activity & socialization signals the brain to produce chemicals called dopamine and serotonin. Additionally, there is oxytocin, and endorphins. All of these are neurochemicals which interact and contribute to your hormonal happiness – which I refer to as DOSE, aka dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.
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See this diagram on these internalized fabulous friends:
Image source: https://www.manuscriptedit.com/scholar-hangout/serotonin-dopamine-endorphins-and-oxytocin-are-vital-neurotransmitters-governing-our-well-being/
So why share this blast of high school ghosts of biology past? Two reasons.
One, everyone has their own way of coping with challenges and struggles. Some methods are fair to midland (average) in terms of healthy; others can lead to more hardship and unhappiness.
In others’ experiences (as well as my own in this word hodgepodge spilling from my brain to yours), cutting yourself some slack and not pushing yourself when you’re feeling out of sorts is a simple beginning step. It reminds us to be compassionate and give ourselves some relief. If you take away nothing else from this diatribe other than the sentence above, then this piece from yours truly has already achieved most of its’ purpose.
The second reason for this monologue is another reminder that SharQui functions not only as a fitness hub, but it’s also an opportunity to connect with others, whether virtually or in-person.
By jumping into their studio and engaging with their classes or entering one of their teaching academies is one way to nudge your system to regulate more of that D.O.S.E. potion we all really need for our noodles. Doing so is likely to cover some of your bases (severe chemical / neurological imbalances not with-standing, mind you).
To review – beat back those winter blues and other brain frowns with some dollops of fitness with the SharQui community and bring your friends… or, gain more in the studio.
Most importantly, be sure to be good to your body, mind, and spirit. Those are crucial relationships to tend to on the inner as much as the outer ones.
Check out SharQui at www.sharqui.com/online, view the menu of classes, and experience the fun and ease that can get your vibes and spirits soaring!
There’s a lot of people out there who desire to help reduce heartache, stress, and grief in the world. This includes SharQui instructors. Read a good book or article (cough cough), schedule a date with a friend, drink some hot cocoa, and pop into SharQui classes to give that heart, gray matter, and meatsuit of yours some TLC.
I very much appreciate you reading friend-folx. May your 2025 Gregorian calendar new year be blessed with warmth, all needs met, wellness, and lots of love.
From the bizarre caverns of my brain to your inboxes,
Anadonis from the SharQui Team