Winter is coming – so what? Tips against the autumn blues

The trees are shedding their leaves, the sky is gray, it is getting cold, damp and windy: autumn is here. And with it not only does winter slowly arrive, but the blues often come in its wake. More precisely: the autumn blues .

This is the name given to the bad autumn mood that can affect us from time to time when the sun shows up less often and the weather forces us to stay indoors more often. This usually happens over two seasons, which is why the autumn blues can often turn directly into the winter blues. The main reason: lack of light. The symptoms: listlessness, sometimes mild sadness and tiredness and generally just less energy to do anything useful.

We'll tell you in a moment what other symptoms you can recognize from the autumn blues, how they arise and what distinguishes them from seasonal or classic depression. Also in this story:

Home remedies and tips on how to get out of the autumn blues and how to counter the winter blues. Light, nutrition and sport play just as important a role here as social life, time out, meditation and classic walks .

Would you like some good tips for more energy in the inhospitable second half of the year? Then read on quickly and recharge your batteries!

Do your body and mind experience the autumn blues? These are the symptoms

The autumn blues are a mood depression that we can fall into when we are exposed to less and less sunlight. Dreary days, a lot of time indoors, long nights: There's no question that sunlight is rare in autumn and winter. The consequence: Our body produces less vitamin D (which makes us feel tired and listless more quickly), and it also increases the release of the sleep hormone melatonin (so... tired). What, however, is neglected: the happiness hormone serotonin . You guessed it: This combination of excess and deficiency doesn't exactly make for joyful autumn and winter days.

So if you suffer from a lack of light, these could be the symptoms:

• Negative thoughts
• Lack of motivation
• sadness
• Low interest in social interaction
• Marked tiredness
• Increased need for sleep
• Cravings

Is every low mood an autumn depression?

Clearly: no. However, due to the imbalance of hormones and the vitamin D deficiency, the autumn blues can serve as a basis from which a so-called seasonal depression (also known as autumn depression or the much more long-term winter depression) can develop. This in turn differs from classic depression in three main ways: While with seasonal depression you are more likely to feel cravings and an increased need for sleep , classic depression is characterized by loss of appetite and insomnia . And, very important: Seasonal depression is temporary. It usually disappears again by the end of winter at the latest, but often within a few weeks. By definition, the autumn blues are only considered seasonal depression if they occur in two consecutive years.

Not every low mood in autumn or winter is automatically a seasonal depression or even a classic depression. If you have any doubts, we always recommend that you seek specialist advice, as home remedies often no longer help to prevent real (autumn) depression.

Autumn blues? Just go outside and get some fresh air.

What can you do against the autumn blues?

First of all: There is no magic bullet against the autumn blues. And sometimes you can't avoid it. With our tips, you can create the best conditions for flinging your best smile into autumn and preventing a low mood in autumn. So what helps against the autumn blues?

Sports in autumn: This is how you get fit through the dreariness

Sport can help clear your head, free yourself from negative thoughts, strengthen your immune system for autumn and winter and ensure feelings of happiness (greetings from Runner's High). You have a lot to choose from: running and cycling are great outdoors in autumn, but indoor sports are also available as soon as it gets colder outside. For example, what do you think about martial arts against the autumn blues?

Whether it's boxing , Muay Thai or BJJ : the training leaves no time for cloudy thoughts, and it's all about discipline, fighting your inner weaker self and small successes that can all add up to a crazy feeling of happiness.

Or what do you think about yoga, Pilates or functional fitness ? Here you get into your own flow - your thoughts calm down, your body is activated. Being fit in autumn means above all: taking a deep breath, recharging your batteries, and treating yourself to happiness .

A special bonus when exercising: you often go out into the fresh air (where there is sparse sunshine) and do it among people. Social contacts are very important against the gray autumn mood, but we'll come to that again in a moment.

Supplements for fall and winter: Hello, immune system!

As we already know, vitamin D deficiency plays a major role in autumn and winter. If our body lacks vitamin D (especially D3), we become weaker and listless (a vitamin D deficiency can also have a serious impact on our bones). Sunlight cures in the open air help against this - the only problem is that there is not enough sunlight in autumn and winter. The Robert Koch Institute clearly states that natural vitamin D formation is only possible for us from March to October. But don't worry: On the one hand, you can top up your vitamin D supply during these months by regularly exposing your uncovered face, hands and arms to sunlight. Important here: skin types I and II no longer than 20, skin type III no longer than 25 minutes. Especially in summer, the following applies: avoid sunburn! On the other hand, our body is able to store these reserves over the autumn and winter.

Did you oversleep the sunlight from March to October and your vitamin D stores are empty (be sure to do a blood test in advance and talk to your doctor ! Unguided supplementation with vitamin D is not recommended) , you can also work acutely with preparations in autumn and winter . Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions regarding quantity and timing!

In addition to vitamin D, other vitamins, minerals and trace elements are particularly important in autumn and winter:

• Vitamin B6, B12, C, folic acid, zinc, selenium and iron each contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
• In addition, vitamin B2, B6, B12, C, folic acid, magnesium and iron each contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

In our online shop you will find Immunfit° Direct and Immunefit° dextrose tablets , two products that provide you with these important companions for the dreary, cold season and can therefore strengthen your immune system .

Hi guys! Social contacts against the autumn blues

Whether you conquer the autumn landscapes with others while doing outdoor sports or ripping everyone off during extended board game evenings: Go socialize! These don’t have to be new acquaintances. Favorite people, family, great work colleagues, etc. can help you get out of the depressed autumn mood. A few ideas for what you can do with your people:

• Board game nights are always good. Three great board game tips that not everyone knows yet: Captain Sonar, Mysterium and Detective – all of which we have already played and are absolute hits. Better known and just as good: the card game Werewolves of Mirkwood. Have fun playing!
• Movie nights with friends can cheer up your mood, give you other thoughts or simply help you turn your head off. The same goes for great series. Binge-watching can help block out the gray outside the window and the lousy weather.
• The good old walk with exciting, lovely people is perfect for getting some fresh air and some sunlight. Why not use the intimate atmosphere to address concerns and fears or simply let off steam? Best friends, siblings and parents are often not to be underestimated as hobby therapists. And: They can also give you wonderful feedback if they think your autumn blues might need to be looked at by a doctor. After all, they often know you best.
• Bars, clubs and restaurants are places where life is raging. Sure, sometimes you have to force yourself to go out among people in a not-too-good mood - but if you dress up, gather good people around you and then just enjoy life for a few hours, you can really get into the autumn mood in no time Give boost.

A good mood instead of a bad autumn mood thanks to reflection

Is the dreariness of autumn and winter getting to you? Sport, social contacts or the right diet and supplements don't help? What do you say then to new thought patterns and new momentum?

• Take a close look at autumn and winter: golden leaves here, white blankets of snow (hopefully) there. At night the sky is clear, the temperatures and the weather give you the best excuses for curling up with your favorite book, a second glass of red wine, baths in candlelight or just letting your hair down. In short: autumn and winter offer more than just the blues. They offer atmosphere and deceleration, a lot of holidays and a lot of time for relaxation - doesn't sound so stupid, does it? And psst: all the festive feasts in autumn and winter are nothing to sneeze at either, right?
• Use the autumn and winter mood to start something new or finish something . After all, the turn of the year is soon approaching. And not implementing good resolutions until the New Year is so lame. Why not learn a new language in the fall, finally travel to that one city you've always wanted to visit, or call people you've wanted to speak to again for a long time? By the way: Meditation and breathing exercises can help you stay cheerful even in inhospitable seasons. Maybe it's time for you to start looking for your inner center?
• One last tip: take advantage of the cold, inhospitable seasons. Treat yourself to me-time, put together really nice playlists for your routines, do sports, do nothing at all or do something really wild: it's up to you. The more the outside restricts us, the more important it is that we design the inside according to our wishes? Do you want to cuddle and spend time with your favorite person? Let's go. Would you like to have time for yourself, isolate yourself and use quality time that was neglected in spring or summer? Nothing stops you.

You see: you can do something about the autumn and winter blues. You can prevent the bad autumn mood, compensate for a lack of light and turn the bad weather into an opportunity for more time out and relaxation. Whether you find your balance with exercise and meditation, go out with people or curl up in bed with your favorite book on rainy autumn days: don't let your head hang. Autumn and winter have so much beauty to offer.

* contains carbohydrates

° Vitamin B6, B12, C and folic acid each contribute to the normal function of the immune system.

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

https://www.rki.de/SharedDocs/FAQ/Vitamin_D/Vitamin_D_FAQ-Liste.html

https://www.dge.de/forschung/faqs/vitamin-d/

PHOTO CREDITS

all pictures: @iambstiano