Learn more about our resident mental health expert and author of Mental Health Mondays, Jade Savage.

Hi Moms!

How is everyone doing? As I currently reside in Southern Utah, where the weather is nowhere near as intense as it is in say Northern Utah, Iowa, Minnesota, and so forth. I took a trip home to the Des Moines Iowa metro, where it was freezing, and I mean freezing, and gray and there was so much snow! When returning to Southern Utah, it seemed like we brought the grayness with us, because for the next several days we did not see the sun and it was raining and so cloudy! It was about one week of that weather before the sun came out again here, and it was “warm” and beautiful. I was assessing my mood and how I felt, and I realized just how much that grayness and no sun weather affected my mental health and how I was feeling. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a very real situation that many people deal with during the wintertime. However, there are also people who feel this same way during the summer. Personally, it affects me during the winter when I don’t get as much sun and can’t enjoy being outside. And I know that so many of you probably align with that and are experiencing some of this right now. Let’s talk about how we can manage our mental health during the cold winter months.

Vitamin D

Oh Vitamin D, how we love you so! Vitamin D we get directly from the sun and sun exposure. The harsh reality of Vitamin D is that many of us are not getting enough, and for many different reasons. For many of you, your job and work require you to either be in an office sitting at your desk, or at your home office sitting at your desk. Either way, you are not getting sun exposure to absorb that Vitamin D. For others of you, you may just not enjoy being in the sun that much for different reasons that are personal to you. Another reason is how connected we are to our electronics, and how easy it is to simply sit on our couch and watch TV instead of getting outside in the sun. No matter the reason why you aren’t getting outside and soaking in that sun, I encourage you to find ways to do this or to supplement with Vitamin D.

Why Vitamin D

Why do we need Vitamin D in the first place? Research shows us that low Vitamin D levels are directly associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. When working with clients who experience anxiety or depressive symptoms, I will always ask about these things such as movement, sun exposure, supplements they take, and other considerations as these are natural mood enhancers and boosters. Just the other day, one of my clients has been struggling with depression for many years. She is taking an anti-depressant and has been for many years, however these symptoms are still coming through. We talked about Omega-3s (which I will dive into another time!) and Vitamin D. Research shows us the effectiveness of both vitamins/nutrients in relation to decreased depression and anxiety symptoms. Why? Because before this modern age where we are spending all our time inside, and usually sitting down, our ancestors were outside all of the time. They were hunting, gathering, preparing food, and spending time in the elements, gaining that Vitamin D the natural way by sun exposure. Today, we aren’t getting that as much, where we can see our bodies wanting and needing those nutrients but are not getting them, leading to mental health problems.

Moving forward with Vitamin D

Now, not everyone needs to be supplementing Vitamin D. There are plenty of you that probably do get enough Vitamin D from sun exposure or light therapy (or have already been supplementing vitamin D). When we notice anxiety and depressive symptoms within ourselves, instead of instantly reaching for medication, can we look towards the elements that our body might be needing instead? I am nowhere near against medication at all, as it is essential for some people and with some disorders. However, it is not always needed, and we can look towards vitamins and nutrients instead. Ask your doctor! Reach out to have that conversation and advocate for yourself!

I hope this was helpful, as education around how our bodies are supposed to work and what our bodies have been used to, is essential to understanding where mental health and illness come into our lives and what might be the reasoning. It can be fascinating when we look at our bodies in a historical way, to understand areas that we might need addressing. A mental health provider can also work through these with you! During the winter, we aren’t getting near as much sun exposure and Vitamin D, where the SAD and other weather-related disorders may come in to play! This is why navigating this during this time is essential.

Remember to always be kind to yourself! You are a strong woman who deserves to feel good and to be healthy. I look forward to chatting with you next time!

PS: I am not a doctor or medical provider. The information relayed above is based on research over the importance of vitamin D and mental health relatedness. You should always talk to your doctor before taking supplements and incorporating things into your daily life.

Reminder: this is not a form of therapy/counseling. If you are experiencing negative mental health symptoms, I encourage you to reach out to a local mental health professional so that you are able to get direct help.