Welcome to the Black Woman in Bloom Podcast, a semi-monthly podcast designed to uplift, encourage and empower Black Women by exploring wellness topics that promote self-care and mindfulness. I’m your host, TaReon Jael, a Certified Health Educator and Medical Lab Scientist. For more information, please visit blackwomaninbloom.com. While I hope you enjoy listening to and learning from the podcast, please remember that it is not a substitute for a relationship with a licensed healthcare provider.
Hello and welcome to episode 23.
There are two sources of inspiration for today’s podcast episode. Those of us in the northern hemisphere are in the last few weeks of winter. It’s definitely felt like a long, long winter. Many of us in the US have been dealing with winter storm warnings and watches. Here in Reno, we’ve been getting snow intermittently for several days and over the last few months. So it’s definitely been feeling like the longest winter ever. The second source of inspiration was a commercial I’ve been seeing lately. It’s a commercial by a jewelry company, and two young ladies are in it. The background is this beautiful scenery that looks like they’re in this luscious green grassy field with pretty flowers all around. They’re both wearing these vibrant spring colors, green and pink. And the background music has this light and airy feeling to it. “It’s giving” all the spring feels, spring vibes. And, of course, they’re featuring the jewelry company’s spring collection. So it definitely speaks to very good marketing because it captures the essence of spring.
During winter, especially for folks that live in areas that get hit hard by winter weather, many people experience seasonal affective disorder, which is sometimes abbreviated as SAD or it’s sometimes also called the winter blues. So we’re going to get into what seasonal affective disorder is, some risk factors, and symptoms that people typically experience. Then I’m going to share some tips on managing those symptoms. Then I have included a meditation aimed at helping us manifest spring and bring on that light and airy feeling, the warmer weather, more sunshine, flowers in bloom, and trees flourishing.
I want to remind you before we get into the topic. The link to the references and resources I mention in the episode will be in the show notes.
All you need to do is head to blackwomaninbloom.com/episodes/23 to check those out.
If you’re not already, follow the podcast @blackwomaninbloom and follow me @tareonjael.
Okay, so let’s talk about seasonal affective disorder and when people start to feel its effects. First thing to note is that it’s not entirely understood why people experience seasonal affective disorder.
Most evidence points to decreased sunlight affecting our circadian rhythm. This is the 24-hour cycle that controls the sleep-wake schedule and causes serotonin levels to drop. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain that affects mood.
Most cases of seasonal affective disorder are related to shorter days, nights being longer, and colder temps, keeping people indoors. An important trait of this disorder is that people usually feel it at the same time every year.
The symptoms can include: Feeling depressed most days, low energy, difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless or restless, sleep problems, especially difficulty waking up, appetite changes, especially a craving for high-carb, comfort foods. Some may even experience thoughts of suicide.
This is more commonly diagnosed in women, but men can experience it too. When men experience it, they tend to report feeling it more severely. It’s also more frequently diagnosed in young adults and older adults.
A couple of risk factors include having immediate family members that experience it. And If someone already has something like major depression or bipolar disorder, they may experience an increased intensity during the winter.The first thing is to show ourselves compassion. This can be a very serious condition, so be gentle with yourself. Let’s avoid being impatient with ourselves and accept that this may not be something we’ll be able to “shake off” or simply “just snap it.” It may require reaching out to a healthcare provider for support.
The second tip is to get some sun exposure. Yes, I know it’s cold outside, but we must be intentional about getting some sunlight. This may look like sitting by the window or bundling up and walking briefly if the weather permits. So if we’re at work or school most of the day, this may look like going outside briefly during our breaks and/or lunch breaks.
The third tip is to consider therapy. This may include talk therapy and/or light therapy to help ease some symptoms.
The fourth tip is to engage in physical activity. Even though depression heavily affects the brain, it’s not uncommon to feel its effect physically. So getting ourselves moving helps awaken the body. Finding something you enjoy is important so that it’s not a chore.
The fifth tip is to reach out to supportive friends and family. This can be tricky because, during the winter, we tend to stay inside more. And this can have a two-fold effect, leading us to withdraw from our friends and family even more. But to work through the winter blues, we must push through the isolation and reach out. And it could just be a simple phone call to a supportive friend or family member.
The sixth tip is to choose foods mindfully. I mentioned earlier that one symptom of the winter blues is craving high-carb, comfort foods. For most of us, these foods make us lethargic and sluggish. As an act of self-care, consider eating more nourishing foods. Foods that will provide energy. One way to think of this is that you’re being good to your body by providing it with the nourishment it needs at a cellular level.
The seventh tip is to challenge distorted thoughts that may arise. Let’s say the thoughts are about not being worthy or good enough. Raise a question that challenges that thought. This could be asking yourself, “What if I can be flawed and still be worthy? What if I can be imperfect and still be enough? With all my imperfections, failures, and insecurities, I am still worthy of compassion, gentleness, love, kindness, and respect.
With that, we’re going to get into our guided visualization on manifesting spring. Feel free to pause and return to this meditation when you have the time and space to relax so you won’t be interrupted or disturbed. If you like, head to the show notes to sign up for the journal prompts for this episode. You may find it helpful to work through the prompts after your meditation session.
Go ahead and find a comfortable position, either seated or lying down. Bring your eyes to a soft focus without focusing on one particular thing. Let’s take a few moments to sit in stillness and become aware of the breath. Begin with some deep belly breaths. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
As you inhale, notice the air entering your lungs; as you exhale, notice the air leaving your body. Continue these deep belly breaths for two more cycles. On the last exhale, gently allow the eyes to close and your breathing to return to normal.
Now, let’s begin to imagine that it’s springtime. Visualize a lush green meadow, with bright yellow and pink flowers blooming all around. Feel the sun’s warm rays on your skin and the gentle breeze kissing your cheek. Notice the stunning beauty of nature around you. Allow yourself to feel the joy of being in this moment. Feel the gratitude for the presence of spring.
Now, bring your attention to your heart, and visualize a seed of intention there. What do you want to manifest in your life this spring? Feel the energy of your intention as it grows and blossoms, radiating outward and manifesting in your life.
Take a few moments to sit in stillness, and allow your intentions to grow as you visualize the beauty of spring all around you. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes and take a few moments to reflect on your intentions.