Hey, party people! (Travis thinks I shouldn’t say this; RT if you think he’s wrong and I’m cool-ish [extra emphasis on the “-ish”]).

For those of you who have somehow missed my onslaught of posts about autumn — kudos to you, you social media warrior — my favourite season is upon us! Like, officially! TODAY!! Yesterday, even, if you’re on the other side of the planet. Unless you’re in the southern hemi, of course, in which case: happy spring! Soz, though, we’re focusing on autumn today (and forever, let’s be real).

Fall (autumn, whatevs), is a pretty rad season for a myriad of reasons; it’s also, unfortunately, the beginning of a transitional period in which SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) becomes prevalent for a lot of people (including moi). In honour of self-care September, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight SAD and emphasize self-care and coping strategies. Disclaimer: this is not medical advice, since I don’t partake in illegal activities (medical advice on the internet) and also, I’m not a doctor. When I eventually get my PhD, I’ll be a doctor of English and/or Geography; the only thing I’ll officially be able to advise you on in terms of SAD is that affective isn’t technically a word. Instead, consider this a list of resources or inspiration for your own self-care, as well as a reminder to take your meds (if you’ve got ’em), drink some water (the whoooole glass x 8 a day), and get some food in that belly (you’ve got this!)

If you’ve never heard of SAD before, it’s essentially a seasonal depression; the change in weather and lack of sunlight in much of the northern hemisphere has a negative effect on a lot of people’s moods. Interestingly, some people have SAD in the spring/summer, but most people are affected during fall/winter, hence this post.

Lucky for me (sorry, self-deprecating joke), I have depression all year. It’s a nice lil depression sundae, with anxiety sprinkled in and also PTSD as the cherry on top. Right now I have PPD/PPA, so all of that combined with SAD makes it just one of those obnoxious cones with the 18 scoops of ice cream that you just KNOW no one will ever finish. That’s my brain!

Here are some of the things I do when I need to get out of a depresso funk:

1. Take my meds | You’d be surprised how often I have a moody outburst and then I’m like, “Ah yes, forgot to take those lil pills that make my brain function without crying.” I currently take 20 mg of escitalopram (Cipralex) per day, which is two pills, so I take one in the morning and one at night. If I’m frantically rushing out the door with the kids, it’s easy to forget my morning dose!
2. Drink water | Basic, yes, but it can make me feel a bit better when I’m depressed because I get dehydration headaches easily, which definitely doesn’t help my mood.
3. Eat food | I am a H A N G R Y witch when I haven’t eaten, so eating definitely helps me. Unfortunately this is a thing I need to work on the most (or at least eating healthy/not binge eating) when I’m in a super depressive mood, because I SUCK at cooking, and doing things I’m not good at makes me upset, so if I try to cook and it ends up getting burnt (which it does 99.9% of the time), it’ll either trigger my anxiety or a whole lotta tears. So I end up snacking on whatever carb-filled deliciousness is in the fridge or cupboard.
4. Shower | Where’re my fellow greasers at? Not the cool, leather jacket kind, either. I rarely get to shower daily, but I aim for every other day. My hair, however, gets washed like every 4-5 days (I have really dry skin, so it doesn’t get oily ever. Don’t be jealous; eczema SUCKS). If I’m not feeling great, I drag my butt into the shower, turn up the water until it’s so hot my skin starts turning red, and give my hair a vigorous clean.
5. Sleep | This one’s definitely a “walk the line” thing; if I don’t sleep enough, I’m riddled with anxiety, but if I sleep too much, I feel unproductive and it’s just downhill from there. I’m still trying to figure this is one out.
6. Exercise | Easier said than done! Currently, it’s hard to exercise because I’m sore, but I know that part of the reason that I’m sore is because I’m not getting enough exercise (I also have chronic pain, but that’s not going anywhere regardless). I like to do yoga for both the physical and mental health benefits, but also I’m new to this area, and I’m wary about going to a studio that’s appropriating South Asian culture (white, cis, middle class woman over here), so, like… EHHHH. (More on that here and here). Going for walks with the kids is an exercise I have been doing, though, which is so fun.
7. Create | I love to make things; sewing, knitting, sketching, DIY-ing, WHATEVER. These hands were made for making, and being able to create allows me to focus all of my energy into something tangible. It feels good!
8. Play | William and Isla keep me busy, but they also keep my inner child stimulated. This is good, since a lot of my anxieties stem from my childhood. Long story short: play is therapeutic for me. Puzzles and Lego are my absolute favourites (see #7).
9. Music | I used to play piano, but my disability affects my right wrist/hand/arm, so playing piano hurts too much, and I can only do it sparingly. I do love to blast music and dance around and sing at the top of my lungs (I’d like to thank 12 years of musical theatre for training me to sing mostly not off-key). William and Isla love to join in, too! Will’s current faves are Imagine Dragons, Twenty-One Pilots, Ariana Grande, and Camila Cabello. I love Dua Lipa and Hailee Steinfeld, too!
10. Read | Novels have always been an escape for me. I was actually really hesitant to do an English degree because I didn’t want to destroy the sanctuary that books provide me. Thankfully, it made reading better, and it still allows me to breakout of the everyday and go on adventures, solve mysteries, and laugh with friends — both new and old — from the comfort of my couch.
11. Write | It’s nice to know that people are reading my word vomit, since writing is a coping strategy I use often! When I was a teen, I wrote a lot of poetry, but that dwindled as university and homework took over my life.
12. Therapy | Having access to therapy is a privilege, and I know this definitely isn’t feasible or accessible for everyone. Therapy helps me unpack my feelings, my responses, and my actions, and my therapist helps me re-frame my reactive thought processes; I’m v grateful for her! PSA: if you’re looking for a therapist, keep in mind that one with a comparable background is best. Unfortunately, this is way harder for BIPOC (just another step in systemic racism working against already-marginalized folks) (see again: therapy is a privilege).
13. Meditation | Meditation overlaps with therapy and yoga (in my situation, at least), and helps enormously when I need to re-centre my thoughts and feelings. There are a ton of great (free) online meditative recordings; I use a few of those, too!
14. Humour | My therapist says I use humour/joking as a coping mechanism, but I’m p sure I’m just hilarious.

Friendly reminder that coping strategies don’t replace actual medication and therapy, nor do mental illnesses inherently have or need a “cure.”

If you have a mental illness and/or SAD — and you feel comfortable sharing — let me know what strategies you use! I’m always eager to learn more!

Take care of yourself, and let others take care of you, too. xoxo