Do You Have the November Blahs?
The November blahs can be a life-sucking monster for entertainers. It starts to get dark by mid-afternoon, the weather is colder, and nothing much happens until the Thanksgiving holidays (unless you have a birthday or a performance). This month can be especially dreary for BFA students who get bombarded with multiple assignments before their college final exams. While you may feel hopeless, there are ways to make this time more bearable. Check out the following tips to turn your blahs into a cause for celebration.
Spend Time Outdoors
To combat the shorter days, it helps to get more sun, especially if you’re indoors most of the time. The latest reports show a number of people are deficient in Vitamin D. This master hormone (it’s not a true vitamin) regulates and orchestrates all other hormones. Exposing your skin to the sun’s UVB rays stimulates your body to make Vitamin D; however, this is iffy since it requires 5 to 30 minutes twice a week on a good day without sunscreen. Foods, such as oily fish, as well as taking supplements may be a better alternative given the risk of skin cancer. While the jury is out about the right dosage, the RDA for most healthy people is 800-1,000 IUs a day. Taken with 1,000 mg. of calcium, this combination promotes stronger bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D also may improve your mood and immune system. Add an invigorating walk with the mood and immune enhancing effects of exercise, and you double your health benefits. Still, check with your doctor to discuss supplements, which can be misused, and always review your health status before a new exercise program.
Practice Good Health Habits
Besides regular exercise, nutritious meals and sufficient sleep will help chase away the blahs, not to mention fighting off the common cold and flu. Of course, this requires time management so you can fit everything into your busy schedule and get eight hours of sleep a night. Since people often tend to retreat when they feel the November blahs, try to make your social life a priority. Spending time with friends is a good way to escape the doldrums. A new hobby can also be an exciting change. However, if you feel your mood plummeting each year around this time, you may be suffering from a seasonal depression. Take a look at the symptoms for SAD and see if you meet the criteria. If so, don’t despair. There are many resources for this disorder. For the rest of you, spring is just around the corner. No Kidding! Until then, you can make the most of this time to improve the quality of your life. It can also be a time to work on your career plans for the future.
