Got the winter blues?
Uh oh, winter is coming. Only, this winter is going to be different. It's going to be a winter like we've never seen before; this year it’s going to be particularly dark. Last year our blog talked about some of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
In winter 2020/21, nearly all the Christmas markets have been cancelled, taking away the joy of the pre-Christmas season for many. The world-famous Christmas market in Nuremberg isn’t happening, nor are those in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Bremen, Bielefeld, Erfurt and Magdeburg, to name just a few.
No mulled wine, no sweet-smelling Christmas bakes, no meeting friends and colleagues at Christmas stalls to see out the year, and no work Christmas parties either.
People have never looked forward to the biggest family festival of the year with such mixed feelings. In addition, more than a handful are worried about their livelihoods.
As things look, we won’t be able to enjoy a nice trip to Bavaria, Austria, South Tyrol or Switzerland during the Christmas holidays. We'll have to wait for the coming spring.
In 2020/21 we’re also missing out on Germany’s biggest folk festivals, the carnival season leading up to Ash Wednesday, which is making fans very sad. In the past 100 years this has only happened during the World Wars and the Great Depression of 1931 and 1932. This year’s carnival season started on 11th November, so children had to miss out on their beloved St. Martin’s Day parade.
Our health is also suffering
It isn’t look good for many people’s health either. The AOK Federal Association reports that millions of people suffer from depression, and that this is even more pronounced in winter. The depressed mood currently prevailing will only exacerbate the problem.
It is estimated that around 350 million people worldwide now suffer from depression. The Federal Ministry of Health has announced that, according to the World Health Organisation, depression or affective disorders will be the second most common disease in the world by 2020.
The German Depression Aid Foundation recently published the third edition of its “Germany Depression Barometer”, which showed that our older citizens, the group most severely affected by the coronavirus measures, are also most at risk from depression. The survey also showed that senior citizens are even more likely to overlook depression than younger people. Feelings of hopelessness and joylessness will only increase this winter.
The winter blues is far from being full-blown depression
Basically, almost all of our needs are met, but without physical closeness and care, we can’t enjoy anything and everything seems pointless. It’s a simple insight, but one that we are currently being reminded of every day. Only, despite our bad mood, the winter blues is far from being full-blown depression.
According to the German Depression Aid Foundation, if symptoms of depression appear exclusively and repeatedly at a certain time of the year, typically in autumn and winter, we are talking instead about the winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
It's still dark outside when your alarm goes off, it's raining and the wind is whistling around the house, and you don't want to get out of bed. But no matter what happens this winter, we just have to make the best of it. Often the only cause of our low mood in winter is the lack of daylight. Our hormonal balance is out of kilter. The lack of daylight leads to a higher release of the hormone melatonin, which makes you limp and tired. But there’s a lot we can do to counteract this.
We should walk for at least half an hour a day while it’s still light outside, for example during our lunch break. During daylight, the body produces the happiness hormone serotonin. This lifts our mood and makes us feel better. However, as the days are getting shorter and shorter, for many people half an hour of daylight is no longer enough to lighten their mood.
Lift your mood with a daylight lamp
Light therapy with a daylight lamp can help. Daylight lamps simulate sunlight in an artificial manner. It’s important that the lamp provides an illuminance of at least 2,500 lux, i.e. the amount of light that you get during the day, for example, in spring. In summer this value increases to up to 10,000 lux.
So it’s advisable to use a daylight lamp with 10,000 lux. The difference is significant. If you have a daylight lamp with 10,000 lux you only need to spend 30 minutes a day in front of it, whereas if your lamp has 2,500 lux you will have to sit in front of it for up to two hours a day.
The lamps are very easy to use. Simply set it up half a metre to a metre in front of you so that you’re getting a lot of light, and just look into it. Light therapy of this type can literally brighten your state of mind. You don't have to constantly look into the light; a few seconds at a time is enough. The best time to do it is in the morning.
Before you start light therapy, in certain circumstances you should have your eyes examined (e.g. if you have any eye conditions etc.). People with age-related eye diseases in particular should seek advice from a doctor. You may notice an improvement in your mood after just a few days. After two weeks, you should be in a much better mood. Side effects such as headaches or dry eyes are very rare.
Fun and enjoyment in the long winter evenings
Now that it's dark by 4pm, the evenings are getting long and some of us are wondering what to do to make the most of the time. Our tip: switch off the TV and put down your phones, tablets and laptops.
Board games with family or friends
Board games with family or friends are always great fun. One of the oldest games in Germany is Mensch ärger dich nicht, which was invented by Josef Friedrich Schmidt in 1907/1908 and went into series production in 1914. Since then, countless generations have enjoyed the game. You hope, you move, you groan, you win, you lose. One player’s joy is another’s sorrow. The great thing is, it’s a fun game for old and young alike.
The strategic game "Rush Hour" is a five-star game. On the Hallo-Eltern.de parenting website it says: if you’re in a hurry, you won't get very far with this game.“Rush Hour” is an extraordinary board game for children and adults that requires strategic thinking. The aim is to move obstacles out of the way of the red car and escape the traffic jam.
How do you become a millionaire? Monopoly shows us how. If you want to get rich, start young. There’s nothing better than buying up entire streets or snapping up the purple properties. Monopoly is an absolute classic and can be played across generations with children, parents and grandparents. Playing with “money” also helps children to deal with numbers and is great fun for the whole family.
As we can’t travel, why not explore the world through the board game "Reise um die Erde" (Journey Around The World). In this game, players can travel to 47 cities on every continent. Each player receives 8 of the 94 starting cards in their hand, and the journey begins. The game teaches children about continents and countries, although it’s only suitable for children aged 8 and over.
No matter which game you choose, these days there are countless options. One thing’s for sure: when playing with family or friends, the long winter evenings will pass in the blink of an eye, and everyone will have fun.
And on that happy note, we’ll wrap up this article. After all, we all have a lot to do this winter. We hope that our little tips will help you get through the winter in good shape.
Stay healthy!
