Three Bipolar Self-Care Tips for the Winter

These tips are great for anyone but especially people who tend to get depressed during the winter, because the lack of sunlight can often make us feel a little bit worse.

One reason for this is that low vitamin D levels can contribute to depression, and we get vitamin D from the sun.When there's less sunlight during the day, that can decrease our levels of vitamin D.

So, some tips that I have to help with this is...

• Keep your curtains open during the day, whether you're in an office or at home. Keep your curtains open during the day, don't leave them shut. Open up your blinds and curtains, and let all the natural sunlight in.
• On the days that it's not too cold, you should spend at least 15 minutes outside, 15 to 20 minutes, just to let the sunlight hit your face. So what I do is I keep track of the weather on my phone. You can download a weather app, and keep track of the highs and lows.

Keep Warm

Another tip I have might seem obvious, but be sure to keep warm because being cold all the time can also lower your mood, make you feel grumpy or just miserable. Make sure you have a good jacket, wear scarves, hats when you're outdoors.

The cooler weather can be really bad for your immune system and just really make you feel bad. Don't be afraid to kick on the heater, and warm up your body a little bit.

Another way to increase your feelings of warmth in your house is to get scented candles. Lighting candles, especially at night, can create a really nice feeling of warmth in your house. During the fall and winter season, a lot of companies sell really nice scented candles that are really festive and really great for aromatherapy. Although you won't get warmth from it, you will get a feeling of warmth in the atmosphere and the scents can be really therapeutic, as well.

Also, it's really great to drink tea can be a really nice way to heat up your body because it's a warm beverage, keeps you hydrated and is also a great way to keep your appetite under control. A lot of herbal teas can be really really good for you and have a lot of minerals that are great for your health, as well.

Save Unhealthy Foods for Socializing or Opt for a Healthy Snack

The autumn and winter months are full of a lot of unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugar.

So, my tip for that is to try and eat those only socially when you're spending time with family and friends. Eating junk food all of the time can really make you not feel good after a while. You'll feel good while you're eating it, but then you'll start to feel guilty.

If you want to cut out the unhealthy snacks, you can eat fruits and vegetables that are in seasons, such as apples, butternut squash, and different kinds of nuts and seeds.