It’s cold, it’s dark, the AQI is high at times, and there are no holidays or special events to look forward to in the next few weeks. It’s no wonder depression spikes in February. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, late January and early February see serious rises in something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It affects not only adults but kids and teens as well.
Some common symptoms to watch for in yourself and your kids include: lethargy or changes in sleeping patterns, a sudden disinterest in things you generally enjoy, irritability, inability to focus or concentrate, and changes in eating habits and patterns. Luckily, though, there are a few things you can do to hold the blues at bay while we wait for warmer weather and brighter days.
Get Outside: Part of the suspected reason for seasonal depression is the lack of Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D helps the brain produce a cocktail of feel-good chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate our emotions and energy. But the cold weather and bad AQI in Beijing keep us indoors. Just five minutes a day spent outside on your lunch break could see a huge improvement in your mood!
Get Moving: In the immortal words of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people don’t shoot their husbands!” Shake up your workout routine and get your kids involved in physical activities. Try a silks class, or Krav Maga, or just bike to work or school. Harvard Medical School cited a study that shows mood-boosting effects from as little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise each day. A family walk could be all you need to see a dramatic change in happiness levels.
Get Creative: Art therapy has been shown to have a mood-boosting effect. Expats tend to be high achievers who deal with a lot of stress, and simply having an unstructured creative outlet like coloring, journaling, or dancing, where no one has any expectations of the work you produce, can be very freeing and great for your mental health. Especially for teens who are under immense pressure to constantly produce good grades, create innovative projects, and win competitions that will set them apart in the admissions process. Head to Taobao and get some modeling clay or coloring books and keep them on your desk or in your backpack for a five minute brain break once in a while.
Human Connection: Humans are physical beings who need touch and verbal affirmation. We all experienced the lack of that connection during lockdown, and now that socializing is possible again, we should make spending in-person time with people we love a priority. I know that sometimes all you want is Netflix and take-out, but if it’s been more than a week since you spent time with friends outside of work you need to reconnect for your mental health and theirs. This is especially important for teenagers. Social media is fine but developmentally they need social interaction at an even higher rate than adults do. Set up communal activities and encourage them to meet friends in person.
The good news? The days are getting longer and we are headed into warmer weather. Mild seasonal depression is normal and should subside on its own, but as always, if you think you or your child has a more prolonged or acute issue you should seek professional medical help. Take care of yourself, ask for help when you need it, and be ready to assist other Beijingers who might need an emotional boost to get through the next few weeks.
Images: Canva
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