Homecare: During winter’s long, cold, dreary days, it’s common to find people feeling blue.
They don’t have as much energy, and they just don’t feel like themselves. Winter blues pass as spring arrives, but they can make it harder for you until then. Hiring a homecare services provider can help keep your senior company.
For some people, winter blues impact mood enough to make it hard to work or want to be social. Others may not like being around you when you’re feeling down. That’s when winter blues cross over into seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression. With either winter blues or SAD, you need to take care of yourself.
How Do You Know If It’s Winter Blues?
With winter blues, you may feel sad and tired. You keep doing your usual routines, but it takes more energy. If it moves into SAD, you may find it leads to insomnia, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness.
Seasonal depression affects about 5% of the population. It usually affects more women than men. The farther you live from the equator, the higher the risk. Cold weather and limited exposure to sunlight are factors.
Either way, you need to make a few changes. Getting outside as much as possible is important. It may be cold, but bundle up and spend time in the sun. Even 15 minutes out in the sun can make a difference.
Daily exercise is also essential. If you can’t get outside, brighten a room with UV bulbs or lamps, walk on a treadmill, or follow an instructional Tai Chi video.
Finally, make sure you have a bright environment inside. Use cheery colors in your home décor, open windows to let in natural light, and invest in lamps that mimic the natural sunlight.
How Do You Find the Time?
You take care of your parents all day and most of the night. You need to be nearby due to their health issues. How are you supposed to find time to take a walk in the sun?
If you cannot have them join you on a walk, hire homecare aides to sit with them while you take a break. Respite care is a temporary home care service that provides you with the opportunity to leave the home. Meanwhile, a paid home care aide takes over providing the care your parents need.
Arrange respite care services today. You need the break, so make sure you take one. Talk to home care specialists to learn more.
If you or someone you know needs Homecare in Granite Falls, MN, contact Adara Home Health Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve.
Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.
Sources:
https://www.mhanational.org/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad