My mood is changing due to lack of sun.

[RawHeaven]

I'm blue. I miss and need the sun and am being impacted by the other SAD (seasonal affective disorder). :( I feel this overwhelming need to hop on a plane to where it's blazingly hot and sunny. Good grief, Fall just started and it's already impacting me.

Anyone have any great natural suggestions or alternatives? Or are you equally sensitive to the seasonal change? Meditation is helping me, but I can't sit in meditation all day. I think because I'm raw now, I'm more sensitive and perhaps it's retracing that I'm experiencing. I sure do hope so and that it passes.

Thank you for your thoughts, sharing and/or suggestions.

Peace,
Crystal

[cavany]

Rawheaven thats really SAD I see you are in California that's where I though the sun was.

[rawstrength]

Do you eat mushrooms? Mushrooms are more genetically similar to animals than to plants, and they can thus make their own vitamin D. If you eat mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight, then you can get some vitamin D. That might help with part of the SAD.
I have full spectrum light bulbs in some of the lamps in my room. I use them for reading and they help keep my mood up in the winter months.
PS New England winters are a lot longer and colder than California ones! Consider yourself lucky!

[Ilse W.]

Green smoothies! Take in as much green as possible, chlorophyll is liquid sunshine!

[Veganforlife]

I totally agree with EmmaT AND replace your bulbs with Full Spectrum bulbs. They work!

[snoops]

I sit in front of a SAD lamp for 30 minutes every morning. I started last year and I really noticed a change in my mood once I started. The full spectrum lighting may also help but this light sits right beside you and I think the bight light stimulates something in your eyes. I just started it again last week.

[shashibala]

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling this way! I also use a special "SAD" light every morning. I live in upstate NY and it is already super dark here!
Exercise is supposed to help,but who feels like exercising in the dark?
I hope you feel great really soon!!!

[MOTH]

I totally hear you...I'm in New England - around the Boston area - and the INSTANT the climate shift occurred up here, a few weeks back, I felt my mood get all crazy. I think it's because everything is dying and we are part of everything, so it affects us. Not to mention the produce quality took a noticeable nosedive in September.

I'm planning on leaving this area for some place more tropical eventually, but I'm here for the winter, so I decided to enjoy what each season has to offer, "get into the spirit of the season" and so forth. I eat a lot of apples right now, LOL.

[RawHeaven]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It is very helpful to me. I will buy more of the full spectrum bulbs and take into consideration everything else - up my greens etc. Rawstrength, I used to love mushrooms but I've lost the excitement for them lately. But I will monitor this - maybe down the line I'll feel like eating them again.

I'm feeling better today, the sun came out and I went out for a long walk in it yesterday.

Cavany, there are varying simultaneous climates in California, especially in the Bay Area. Can be freezing & foggy in SF and very hot & sunny in other parts only a few miles away.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[annavon]

Rawheaven, I know what you mean about the CA climates. I lived in Santa Barbara for 20 years. I found it helpful to go inland on the weekends to get some sun. Now I have the opposite problem, I actually miss the fog on some days. I like the sun most of the time, but by October, I am saying "I've had enough". I try to get out to cooler climates during the summer.

[Robison]

I get pretty much no sunlight really. Just whatever I get when going out to my vehicle etc. I also wear long sleeves year round because it's cold where I work.

Ive been trying to figure some way to get more in but dont know the best way. I mean, can you get enough just on your face and arms while doing yardwork?