During the winter months, those of us in cooler climates may be inclined to spend more time indoors as the temps drop and daylight savings comes to an end. And if you work from home, it can be even easier to stay inside and be less active (hello, Doordash and Uber Eats). But when we do this, we miss out on critical time in sunlight, which can trigger changes in the body such as reduced serotonin, vitamin D, or too much melatonin, which can affect your mood.  

There are ways you can counter these feelings and boost your vitamin D, such as using “happy lights” light therapy in your space, and eating foods such as fatty fish, dark leafy greens and even dark chocolate. But don’t miss out on the feel-good benefits of getting outdoors and moving your body. 

Communing with nature can help us avoid the negative moods and melancholy of the season. Research has shown that exposure to the natural environment can reduce depression and anxiety. It also keeps us active, which counters the poor health effects of sitting for long periods indoors.

If you feel sad for two weeks or more, if you find it hard to get out of bed, if you notice yourself isolating or losing interest in things you used to enjoy doing, consider talking to a therapist. Whether or not you decide to seek counseling, spending more time outdoors and in nature will support your healing. So bundle up and try these activities:

Go for a walk or hike. Take a brisk walk in your neighborhood or at a local park with hiking trails. Walking is free and has so many benefits, including getting your heartrate up and getting you outdoors and closer to nature. Tune into a Girltrek Black History Bootcamp podcast for inspiration. 

Keep playing outdoor sports. Just because it’s cold out, you don’t have to stop playing sports you enjoy like basketball, tennis or throwing a football. Make it a family outing or join a local team. The activity will warm you up and the camaraderie will boost your mood.

Bask in sunlight. Even though there are fewer daylight hours, be sure to soak up some rays when you can. Step outside for a few minutes in the morning, during your lunch break or at the end of the day to experience the warmth and beauty of sunlight. You may even catch a lovely sunset.

Having fun in the snow.

Enjoy the snow. Even if you’re not a winter sports fan, you can still get a good workout in the snow. Try cross country skiing or snowshoeing, which is something I love to do. You’ll work up a sweat even when it’s cold. If you have kids, take them ice skating or sledding. Build a snowman together or surprise them with a snowball fight. You might just reconnect with the child in you.

Visit a local zoo, botanical garden or state park. These spots, which are often open year-round, get you up close to animals and greenery, and provide ideal scenery for a long walk.

Plan a trip. If you’re able, plan a weekend (or longer) escape to a warmer destination or one that puts you squarely in nature, like a mountain cabin or ski lodge. There may be opportunities like winter camping or ice fishing. A winter getaway may be just what you need to change your perspective.

Try a new outdoor hobby. Bird watching or outdoor photography can get you outside and give you a new skill that builds confidence and joy. Do a little research to find a local club or tour that you can join. 

Volunteer outside. Is there a cause you feel strongly about? There may be an opportunity to support a local charity by signing up for a fundraising walk or run, or helping to clean up a local park or support a nature preserve. Helping others feels good and prevents soul-crushing isolation. 

Another way to counter the blues and nurture your spirit is to take some time to journal. For seasonal inspiration, consider Winter Poem, a short and sweet glimpse of experiencing the wonders of winter, by Nikki Giovanni. Once you’ve read it, write to one of these prompts: 1) This poem explores seasonal transitions. What transitions are you exploring in your own life? How are they connected with the seasonal shift? 2) Like kissing snowflakes, list 5-10 ways you can embrace the change in seasons.  3) What phrase or line resonates most with you, and why? You can even do your writing outside.

Attend my monthly writing series to banish the blues

Click here to join Writing and Lighting the Way: Self-Care for Seasonal Blues.

Join my writing group to overcome the winter blues.

This monthly writing series that runs all winter until March will lift spirits that might dip when the temperature drops and the nights grow long. Using literature and lyrics, we'll explore seasonal sadness and holistic ways to welcome winter and thrive as the seasons change. First Saturday of the month for four months, starting Dec. 3. (Bring: something to write with (notepad, journal, your computer). No writing experience necessary.)

How Therapy Can Be More Than Talking

Today, more people are making psychotherapy a part of their self-care practice. In the same way they have personal trainers, they are investing in therapists -- and that’s a good thing. The benefits of therapy are vast, including having an objective perspective on happenings in your life, a sounding board for you to talk through options before taking action, a place where you can deepen self-awareness, access resources to support your growth and personal development, and much more. 

But you may cringe at the idea of being up in an office talking through your feelings, and I get it! Sometimes, the couch may not be what you need at the time. Sometimes, you simply need to get out and about or explore your experiences in ways where words alone won’t do. 

As a psychotherapist, I help clients get in touch with their emotions and change negative thinking and problematic behavior.  I’ll sometimes encourage writing, moving, drawing, getting sunshine and even deep breathing as a way to explore and express feelings, develop coping and relaxation strategies, support healthy relationships and manage conflicts. 

When it comes to therapy, talking it through isn’t the only solution. Here are ten ways to get off the couch and still find transformation and healing. While not all are therapy in the clinical sense, all can be therapeutic.

Move your body. 

Dancing around the kitchen to your favorite Beyoncé song can certainly be fun (been there, done that!), but there are many more benefits to moving than exercise and a good time. Dance and movement help you connect with your body and contribute to your brain’s health. Science shows that the mental benefits include improved memory and strengthened neural connections. Dance and movement therapy helps address issues such as poor self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. In an article exploring dance and movement therapy in Scientific American magazine, Columbia University neuroscientist John Krakauer called synchronizing music and movement a “pleasure double play” because music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its “sensory and motor circuits.” To find a dance movement therapist, try the American Dance Therapy Association. 

Take a hike.

Because it tends to be a little bit more challenging than a casual stroll through the park, hiking can give you a cardiovascular boost as well. A Harvard University article noted that hiking -- especially on uneven terrain -- can engage your core and enhance your balance while relieving stress as well.  

Get artsy.

Regardless of whether you consider yourself creative, making art makes for potent therapy. A Michigan State University article describes the benefits of art therapy for people of all ages, suggesting that it helps “tap into your inner thoughts, feelings and experiences through creative expression.” When combined with talk therapy, the article explains, art therapy can “help people deal with strong emotions, increase self-awareness and self-worth and decrease stress and anxiety.” Art therapy can include drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting and more. To find an art therapist near you, visit the American Art Therapy Association’s therapist locator.

Go outside and play.

Go Green: Enjoy the benefits of green spaces. (Image: Nappy.co)

In New York City, we have the benefit of living and working among oases of green spaces. These beautiful parks -- including Manhattan’s sprawling Central Park -- were designed to provide relief and a sense of escape for the teeming masses living in close quarters and among dense buildings. Occasionally I’ve met clients in a park near my office, and the change in setting made a big difference in our dynamic and their mood. It’s not surprising: CNN recently cited a study of 20,000 people in England that showed that spending time in nature or green spaces can benefit your health and well-being. Even as little as 15 minutes in nature is said to help reduce stress and anxiety, boost happiness and help with memory loss. 

Sing a song.

You may not be America’s next idol, but belting out your favorite song, even if off-key, can often be a great stress reliever. Up the fun quotient and meet a few friends for karaoke, where you can vibe with the music and be silly without judgment. In that vein, music therapy -- engaging music to accomplish goals within a therapeutic relationship -- can be a powerful option to consider. And you don’t need a musical background to experience the benefits of music therapy: a certified music therapist will design a program that’s suited for you. Find a music therapist through the American Music Therapy Association at https://www.musictherapy.org/about/find/.

Get to the beach. 

Sight, sound, smell -- the ocean stimulates many of your senses and can help you to relax. This NBC news story explores the notion that simply lying on a towel on the beach and just listening to the sound of waves washing onto shore can soothe you. The article notes that a study in the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that even the ocean’s blue hue can boost your mood and enhance creativity. Skeptics might say that the beach is relaxing because we’ve been conditioned to think so, but if it works, it works!

Work it out. 

Get Moving! Boosting your heart rate helps you feel great!

We know that regular exercise benefits your body, but rigorous movement boosts your brain as well. Working up a sweat not only releases endorphins -- nature’s feel-good hormone (as in “runner’s high”) -- but it also promotes better memory and thinking skills. A good aerobic workout can include anything that gets your heart rate up -- from Zumba to bicycling to swimming to a 30-minute do-it-yourself boot camp in the comfort of your living room. 

Write it out.

Creative writing and poetry can act as a buffer, providing a safe distance to explore difficult or distressing parts of your life. Many people in creative endeavors swear by Morning Pages, a daily exercise that is the cornerstone of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, a guide to restoring or enhancing creativity.  You write longhand - nonstop and no edits - filling three pages. In her book The Soul of the Full Length Manuscript, novelist and expressive arts expert Zelda Lockhart encourages us to dive into detail “to express joy, complacency or satisfaction with as much fervor as we have learned in our lives to express pain.” Some therapists are specially trained to guide you in writing, offering prompts and excerpts to help you safely explore areas of your life and process the writing you produce. The International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy lists credentialed professionals who can facilitate writing as therapy. 

Act it out.

Of course you want to have as little drama in your life as possible. But drama therapy can prove helpful as an alternative or addition to talk therapy. In drama therapy, you might use theater games, storytelling, and enactment to help cope with grief and loss, isolation and conflict. As the North American Drama Therapy Association  explains, drama therapy can also promote positive changes in mood, insight and empathy and facilitate healthy relationships. Check out their listing of drama therapists.

Breathe with intention. 

Breathing with thoughtful intention can promote calm and ease, cultivate mindfulness, and help you become more grounded and aware of bodily sensations. Breath is often overlooked, but is an important part of working through distressing experiences and making change. And whenever you exhale for longer than you inhale, you automatically engage your parasympathetic nervous system, which tells your body to rest, and counteract your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your fight-or-flight response. Try this technique adapted from The Healing Power of the Breath by Drs. Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg: Slowly inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, slowly exhale for six counts, hold for two counts. Repeat a few times and note what you feel in your body.  

Robin D. Stone is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Positive Psychology Associates in Manhattan. She is the author of No Secret, No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse and lead writer of the Essence book, The Black Women’s Guide to Healthy Living. Robin is currently developing an expressive arts wellness center in Harlem, New York. Learn more about Robin’s services and connect with her at robinstone.com

I recently blogged about interval training, the exciting workout trend that blends high-intensity bursts of activity with periods of rest. Interval training isn’t new; in fact, pro athletes have done it for years. But now there’s a stack of I-T research that should encourage the most sedentary among us to get moving.

In May I wrote about how a study showed that seven minutes of high-intensity I-T produced the same results as 30 minutes of traditional aerobic movement. Now more research highlights a four-minute exercise program. I don’t know how low you can go, but it seems that, according to this study, you can get fitter and stronger doing just four minutes of exercise several times a week! 

How can you put interval training to use right now? Well, let’s say you typically get your cardio by walking. On certain blocks, or between certain park benches, boost your pace to the max.  Go as fast as you can – or break out in a jog – then slow down to your normal pace for the next block or bench. Do this several times during your outing. That’s a form of interval training.

If you’re a gym rat who likes to mix it up with equipment and running, try these Cross Fit moves.

If you’re into DVD’s or want to invest in a simple, whole-body routine, try 20-Second Fitness, a series of high-intensity moves that will work you in 4-minute segments. And as I’ve mentioned previously, there’s also Insanity, a DVD series of push-you-to-your-limit I-T workouts for those who are already active.

It doesn’t take a lot to reap great health benefit. Even if you have the busiest of schedules, you can find an interval training workout that fits.

Whatever path you choose, be consistent and you’ll see results: Your endurance will grow. Your heart health will improve. Your metabolism will function better. Studies show these health benefits occur largely because your body learns to use oxygen more efficiently.

So give these fast and furious bursts a try. Be careful, though; unless you’re used to exertion, make sure to check with your doc before you jump in. You might find that pushing yourself to the max for a minute – or four or seven or more – certainly has its benefits. And then before you know it, you’re done.