Feeling Grumpy About Shorter Days and Longer Nights?

This time of year, shorter days and longer nights slowly start to creep up on us. We might even start to feel a bit grumpy.

While it's generally understood that a reduction in daylight exposure can impact mental health, it's also inevitable that every Fall, the days get shorter and the nights get longer.

So, what can we do to mitigate the impact of, what's know as, Seasonal Affective Disorder, sometimes referred to as SAD. Here's a few tips.

• Maintain a Healthy Diet. While this is always a good idea, consuming a healthy diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats can help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent energy crashes and mood swings. Vitamin D supplements may also help offset the lack of natural light during the fall and winter months.

  
  

• Exercise. Staying fit through regular exercise, in particular aerobic exercise,  can boost endorphins and serotonin, helping to combat depression and anxiety associated with SAD. Exercise also improves sleep, which is often disrupted in individuals with SAD.

  
  

• Get Outside. Yes, daylight is limited, however maximizing your exposure to natural light is super important. Try to get outside for at least 30 minutes a day, even when the sun isn't shining. Take a walk or a run, or just sit and stare off into the distance. Just get yourself some natural light.

  
  

• Use Light Therapy. Replace a few of your standard light bulbs with smart wifi enabled bulbs. Program the bulbs to mimic natural sunlight. Spending a half hour each morning under this bright light can help regulate your body's circadian rhythms. You can even set up the bulbs so that they gradually increase in brightness, just like a Summer sunrise. Perhaps not exactly the same as a Summer sunrise, but it's the best you've got in late December!

Feeling a bit grumpy about shorter days and longer nights is quite normal. Implementing and maintaining these tips can help improve your mood swings during the long and dark Winter. And even if they don't, things like diet, exercise and getting outdoors are good for the body and the soul.