Sunrise in Hilton Head, SC
Y’all. I use the word “y’all” so you know I’m serious. Winter Blues has befallen New York City and my little heart can’t take it! Of course this happens every year and eventually I’ll get over it, but for some reason it’s hitting me really hard this year. For those of you that don’t know, Winter Blues refers to a state of depression caused by the lack of vitamin D the body receives from the sun due to the shorter days of winter. Yes, it’s a real disorder! For those of you that don’t believe me, see here.
As I have lived the majority of my life in the South, I don’t recall experiencing much of a winter blues until I moved to New York City. I’ll never forget my first winter in New York. I developed a case of the Winter Blues that was so bad I almost packed my bags and left for good. I had no idea what was wrong with me but I didn’t want to go anywhere, I was crying all the time, I was (obviously) very cold, and absolutely nothing could make me happy. As if the fact that the sun was setting at 4:30 pm every day wasn’t bad enough, that first winter, I worked in an office that was on the basement level of a building so it had no windows. This meant that for a good four months, the only time I saw the sun was when I walked to and from the subway in the morning. TALK ABOUT DEPRESSING!!
Over the years I’ve learned a few ways to fight the winter blues. As I clinically have a vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplements are a must for me in the wintertime. I also try to take a 10 to 15 minute walk during my lunch break so that I can soak up the bit of sun that does exist during the long winter months. Finally, my absolute favorite way to combat the winter blues is to take a vacation to a southern destination!! I’m fortunate that every year for Christmas I get to visit family in Louisiana where the weather is warmer and the days seem longer. This year I’m adding a few extra days to my holiday vacation for a trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina! I grew up spending New Years in Hilton Head as a child and I just cannot wait to bike all day, take walks on the beach (it won’t be warm enough to swim), and dine on lowcountry cuisine. The best part about this trip?? My Mom and I will be DRIVING from Louisiana to Hilton Head! ROAD TRIP!
I’m thinking a food crawl story may be in the works… 🙂 Do you ever develop a case of the Winter Blues? If so, how do you fight it? What sunny destination do you travel to during the cold winter months? Let me know below!
Hi, glad to see you survived Sandy! It’s taking me a while to catch up on all that I missed while my TV and internet were down.
I get the Winter Blues too (which I just call SAD, which I think is appropriate haha) … strangely enough, it wasn’t until I went away to college in Massachusetts that I started feeling it! While I was in college, I got it particularly badly between February and May (I guess the worst of winter in Massachusetts), but since I’ve moved back to NYC, I would say March is probably the toughest month for me … so close to spring but still yucky and depressing out. Especially when NY gets those snowstorms as late as April!
I’ve thought a few times about getting a sun lamp, but I just haven’t gotten around to finding one that’s affordable and also has good reviews. I think in the past couple of years, it’s gotten better … but my first year back from college, I remember watching a lot of reality TV after work to combat the blues haha … here’s to hoping it won’t be too bad this year!
A sun lamp eh? I never thought of that! If push comes to shove I always advocate a quick 3 day trip to Miami for a healthy dose of sun 🙂
I had a slight problem with seasonal affective disorder (SAD which is an ironic acronym) when I moved to WA… I also learned recently that people with darker skin color actually don’t absorb as much vitamin D from the sun, which was a little bit of an epiphany for me. Fish is a really good source of vitamin D and you can also buy a sun lamp! They have them in multiple places on my campus because they know it can be a little bit of a problem for some people.
Wow! I had no idea that people with darker skin absorb less vitamin D but I guess if I consider the fact that I rarely burn when I lay out in the sun, that makes sense. Thanks so much for the tip about fish. I’m always looking for a reason to eat more seafood 🙂
Josh here from the BlinkPacking blog. My family and I just enjoyed a fantastic trip to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. I chase the winter blues away with dirt cheap travel — hot locations, cold locations… it all works for me. I wish you all the best with your blogging. Cheers!
Agreed! I love hot and cold locations, especially cold-weather destinations in the wintertime. Some people may complain about the cold, but I feel like that’s when the destination is meant to be seen. Thanks so much for your comment!