{"id":7040,"date":"2022-02-28T09:48:16","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T14:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=7040"},"modified":"2025-08-23T17:38:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T21:38:31","slug":"beating-the-winter-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2022\/02\/28\/beating-the-winter-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"Beating the Winter Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do you suffer from the winter blues? Do the shorter days and cold weather bring you down? If so, you\u2019re not alone. Many people struggle with their mental health during the winter months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI believe people struggle more so in the winter due to the decrease in sunlight and less time outdoors,\u201d mental health worker Julie Clavette said. Clavette has worked for Aroostook Mental Health Center for five years, providing support to people in Madawaska. \u201cI find a lot of people, who struggle normally, struggle worse when getting out and socializing is hindered by the weather.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Julie Clavette and Brittney Beaulieu beating the winter blues.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are many signs and symptoms of having the winter blues. The most common signs are depressed mood and lack of energy. But Clavette warns that there are other things to look out for as well. \u201cSome signs and symptoms might be feeling restless, increased agitation, increase in weight, decrease in self-esteem and so on.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As we are entering our third year of the pandemic, the winter blues have become even more common. Brittney Beaulieu, Master of Social Work student intern, has noted how the pandemic is a contributing factor. Beaulieu has been involved in the mental health field for seven years. She has seen first-hand the impact that the pandemic has had on mental health. \u201cWith the pandemic cases constantly rising, isolation becomes more prevalent in the winter months,\u201d Beaulieu said. \u201cPeople are not able to meet outside due to the weather. Having \u2018cabin fever\u2019 can cause depression and feelings of loneliness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Both Clavette and Beaulieu agree that staying active is key for beating the winter blues. \u201cI advise people to make the effort to find a fun way to exercise,\u201d Clavette said. \u201cIt can be as simple as dusting off your treadmill and taking a walk while you listen to music. Allow yourself a set time where you commit to being productive in the home. Consider picking up a winter hobby. Snowshoeing, ice skating or even puzzle making.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGet outside!\u201d Beaulieu said. \u201cGo walking, skiing, snowboarding. Even if you hate the cold weather, go for a ride in your vehicle. Spend time with friends and family. Create an at-home theater with a movie and your favorite snacks. Do crafts, read, set goals for yourself. The best way to overcome the winter blues is to stay busy!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s important not to lose hope during the winter months. Keep in mind that spring is right around the corner. \u201cYou must remind yourself that this is only temporary,\u201d Clavette said. \u201cSoon enough the days will get longer and warmer. Springtime is a time of rebirth and looking at things from a fresh perspective.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMake a countdown or keep track of how many extra minutes of sunlight per day,\u201d Beaulieu said. \u201cReach out to others who may be struggling. Attend a support group if your community has one. Remember that spring is on its way!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Clavette and Beaulieu advise to be gentle with yourself as you transition into springtime. \u201cWinter can be a difficult time to get through,\u201d Clavette said. \u201cWhat matters is that you get through it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cInterestingly, some people see an increase in depression and anxiety once spring arrives,\u201d Beaulieu said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone all winter being stuck inside. The idea of having to go out to do things in the spring can be overwhelming. Take it one day at a time. Never be afraid to reach out for support. The mental health field has grown. There are so many opportunities to feel better.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do you suffer from the winter blues? Do the shorter days and cold weather bring you down? If so, you\u2019re not alone. Many people struggle with their mental health during the winter months. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI believe people struggle more so in the winter due to the decrease in sunlight and less time outdoors,\u201d mental health worker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8185,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7040\/revisions\/8185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}