Get off my butt - get going

KiliKili ✭✭✭
Bugger I've lost all motivation at the moment. Injury with right leg has thrown me completely. Scince the dark nights arrived I seem to have the winter blues and just cant get going again. Drove to the gym because it's pouring here, sat in the carpark for 10 minutes and drove home, anyone else struggleing to keep going.

I wonder if one of these light lamps ( No dont laugh) would help. Anyone had/used one of these to cure the blues.

Come on guys kick me up the ass I need to get it going again.

KC

Comments

  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Does anyone know what those lamps are called I cant find them on a google search
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Blimey Cheers TwoTon. How the hell did you find that,
  • Did a google on 'Seasonal adjusted disorder'
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Wow what a title. You dont know any links where you can browse with a view to buying one.
    Cheers
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Blimey you need a morgatage to buy one of the light boxes
  • Of course if i had used the correct "Seasonal AFFECTIVE Disorder" it wouldn't have picked up that site ;o)

    try the above for more options...
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Cheers TwoTon, anyone used one of these light boxes , results experinces anyone?
  • Pammie*Pammie* ✭✭✭
    21 weeks and 2 days


    ... then the clocks go forward


    if my calculations are correct,


    it doesn't feel any better does it.
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Sob sob !! Thanks PAMMIE you know how to cheer a guy up.
  • Pammie*Pammie* ✭✭✭
    I do my best

    I hate these winter months those short dark days.

  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Me too the darkness seems to be a factor affecting mood. Do you know if theres anything in these light boxes, no one here seems to know much about them.
  • Saw something about this in the paper the other day which recommended lamps that simulate sunlight slowing coming on in the morning & ditto dimming at night, but I can't remember who manufactures them. Something to do with the link between serotonin & melotonin - same article also recommended tipping your diet towards loads of carbs. Have heard about these lightboxes but think you have to sit in front of them for 1/2 hour a day which sounds a tad tedious.
  • Twas the daily mail me thinks couple of days ago.

    Im a SAD suffer and it can be quite debilitating :o( and mornings and evenings can be a bugger for my running motivation. I haven't tried the light boxes but i generally do my running at lunchtimes during the winter so i can make the most of what little daylight there is at this time of the year. It seems to work for me as well as Flouroxetine (mild form of Prozac) to boost Seratonin.
  • Just found the article (Telegraph) in case helpful - apologies if it goes on a bit.

    "The amount of sunshine entering the eye influences levels of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin. Low concentrations of serotonin are associated with depression and high levels with feeling buoyant. Longer nights mean the release of more melatonin, the production of which depletes serotonin.

    In people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that, in extreme cases, can lead to suicidal behaviour, the levels of these chemicals fluctuate more than normal. SAD sufferers should seek professional help. The rest of us probably just need some strategies to tide us over until spring.

    1 Get out more - especially when the sun is shining. "Half an hour of sunshine will give you a boost of serotonin that can, in effect, be 'stored' for dull days," says Dr Lance Workman, head of psychology at Bath Spa University College and an expert on SAD. Even if the weather is poor, try to take some daily outdoor exercise.

    2 If you find it hard to get up on dark mornings, try a dawn/dusk simulator. It works like an alarm clock, waking you with a gradually brightening light instead of noise: at night, the light slowly fades. Blood tests have shown that the simulator cuts off melatonin production at dawn while the dusk simulator seems to promote better sleep (tel: 01954 211955, or see www.outsidein.co.uk).

    3 Boost your mood with food. Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid found in chicken, turkey, oily fish, kidney beans, oats, pumpkin seeds and lentils. Combine these with carbohydrates, which enhance the absorption of tryptophan for conversion into serotonin.

    Avoid a sugar hit that will leave you feeling low after a while, and instead choose slow-release carbs, such as wholemeal pasta, bread and brown rice. "To make serotonin from its precursors, adequate levels of B vitamins are required, especially B6 and biotin, together with zinc," says nutrition consultant Ian Marber. "You can find the B vitamins in wholegrains, liver and oats, and zinc in eggs, milk, oysters and soya products.''

    4 Another quick way to lift the spirits is via the olfactory nerves in the nose, which are connected to the limbic system, an area in the centre of the brain that governs the emotions. Aromatherapist Chrissie Wildwood suggests putting cheering essential oils, such as orange, lemon, rosemary or bergamot, in a vaporiser, or burning a candle with an uplifting scent.

    5 As you will probably spend more time indoors, cheer up your home. "Bring in more colour than usual with flowers, plants or a picture," advises Carole Gaskell, managing director of the Lifecoaching Company. "And have a winter clear-out. People focus on spring as the time for cleaning, but winter is even better. Clearing out your wardrobe or your desk can give you a real energy boost and make you feel good about yourself.''

    6 Think positive. Pete Cohen, another life coach, takes a few moments each day to visit his own imaginary tropical island and swim in its warm blue waters. "The brain can't tell the difference between a real experience and a remembered or imagined one," he says. "Create your own form of visualisation and your whole body will feel better for it.''

    (contd ....)
  • /contd/...

    7 Pamper yourself. "When it gets dark, I spend a lot of time in the bath - nostalgic scents like Floris Stephanotis bath essence or Badedas always cheer me along," says Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue (Floris mail order: 0845 702 3239; Badedas is available from pharmacies).

    For a zippy start to the day, make up some of Chrissie Wildwood's friction rub. Add one tablespoon of cider vinegar to eight tablespoons of distilled water, six drops of rosemary oil and one drop of ginger oil. Shake together in a plastic container and rub over your body, after showering, using upward strokes towards the heart.

    8 St John's Wort is known to be effective in treating mild to moderate depression (but consult your doctor if you are on other medication). Napiers Skullcap, Oat and Passionflower Compound, based on a traditional Scottish recipe, is said to have lifted the spirits of many generations through drab northern winters.

    Bach Flower Remedies Mustard and Gorse are reliable mood-boosters, according to London homoeopath Sally-Ann Hutcheson, or try Jan de Vries Mood Essence or Vitality Essence (Bach Flower Remedies are available from Boots, Holland & Barrett and other pharmacies and health stores; Jan de Vries flower essences, mail order: 01294 277344).

    9 Don't hibernate. However low you feel, mixing with others almost always improves things. "If you are lethargic, it is tempting to withdraw, but that is when you must force yourself to socialise," says Dr Workman. "If you cannot face a crowd, find one friend who is a really good, empathetic listener and is guaranteed to leave you feeling better.''

    10 Plan some treats. "Above the Arctic Circle, a number of festivities take place during the winter, culminating in a celebration marking the re-appearance of the sun," says Dr Workman. "It is important to have something to look forward to, such as a winter break in the sun." If possible, head for the coast. "Seeing the sky reflected in the sea on a clear day with trees nearby has a positive effect.''
  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    Am I the only one who doesn't mind that the clocks have gone back? Most years I dread this, hating the 'rabbit in headlamps' feeling of switching on the bathroom light having just dragged myself out of bed in what is psychologically still the middle of the night, and months of coming home from work in the dark.

    This year, I actually welcome it. After weeks and weeks of feeling lethargic, heavy and tired through this year's incredible summer temperatures and humidity, I'm enjoying having my normal energy levels back. And not being awoken at 4:00 am by sunlight streaming through the curtains is wonderful - I'm sleeping better than I have in months. Plus having the windows closed means no being disturbed by inconsiderate dustbin men at 5:30 am, or noisy kids playing outside and shouting their heads off until 9:00 pm every night.

    Winter? Bring it on!
  • Have to admit, I'm a winter babe. Love it.
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Thanks everyone. A lot to think about there Erratic. With regard to Serotonin I spoke to my Quack about this and he reckons you just cant get enough by eating the right foods if your levels are low you would have to eat so much that you would proberbly be depressed because you'ed become over weight lol., hence the need for Fluxotine or Prozac to raise levels artifically.

    That website is intersting selling the light boxes such a shame there so expensive. I still havent been able to find anyone who has used a lightbox and can tell me of there experinces , there must be someone out there thats used one.

    Ah well feeling a bit better today finally got out on the road lunchtime and did 5k after driving to the gym twice and then driving away with out going in. A small truimph for me, damn the winters that dont half drag me down.

    Anyone used a light box please let me know what you think of them? do they help you?

    Cheers Guys
    KC
  • maybe try a post in "Health & Injury"? may be a few bods in there
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Thanks erratic, the more I look into this the more confused I get. Oh to be a simple mind
    cheers
    KC
  • KC, friend of mine swears by light box.
    for me the cooler temp and darker nights is ideal for running/sleeping.
    Good luck
  • With the recent concerns regarding St John's Wort and its side effects, many nursing friends recommend Evening Primrose Oil - I find that its really worth a try - and I boost my immune system by using Echinaeca LIQUID DROPS (faster absorbed than tablet form).

    That SAD disorder is very real for many of us... and not much fun... I know from experience! I agree with other members in saying that if you can, use your lunch hour to go for a quick walk outside (I won't say sun... its not always there!). My reason for this is many people places talk about going to work in the dark and leaving in the dark in the winter months... therefore NEVER seeing daylight at all - perhaps that is a reason for so many SAD people!!!!!!
  • KiliKili ✭✭✭
    Thanks Hetz, funny you should say that I have started walking again in my 30 min lunch break, Thinking back thats exactly what I started doing last year in the winter. I'm having a particulary hard time at the momement mentaly for no reason that I can fathom, kids are well wife hasent left me ( well not yet anyway lol...)and everyting seems okay except in that little box between the ears.

    Roll on the summer
  • boinged for la40 in case of any use
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