Is there really a blue Monday?
Those suffering from Seasonal affective disorder probably say yes!
The truth is that Blue Monday was invented by the tourism industry to encourage people to go on holiday to sunnier climes at this time of year. But did you realise that using hypnotherapy you can imagine yourself on that tropical beach and the brain responds as if you were really there.
There is evidence that the number of cases of mild depression rises around this time of year. A mix of bad weather, low lighting, lack of money after Christmas and getting over the stress of it all, conspire towards making the middle of January one of the most depressing times of the year.
What can help us overcome seasonal affective disorder?
To start with get out more – If you work in an office walk more in the morning and at lunchtime to get as much daylight and sunshine as possible. This will help improve your mood as well as top up that Vitamin D. Try eating your breakfast sat next to a SAD lamp – they do work, I use one throughout December as I eat my breakfast in artificial light and these lamps help stimulate the brain chemistry to help wake you up.
Seeking counselling about your depression may not be the best move, though often suggested by GP’s. Instead, a more solution-focused approach may be more beneficial. It allows people to solve their problems as they arise instead of becoming overwhelmed by them. By not allowing problems to mount up can stop you getting depressed in the first place.
Depression is a trance state
Depression has found to be a trance state, fed by negative thoughts, so solution-focused hypnotherapy can help steer the focus to a more positive future. Be aware of that negative thinking and learn to challenge them and turn them around.
It brings to mind a client who came to me because her sleep was so broken that she was sleeping during the day. Of course this was making it more difficult to sleep at night. She blamed the medication she was on. As we went from week to week gathering more information it began to build a picture of depression. It started to build a picture of boredom. She had given up work because of this sleep problem but that was probably the worst thing she could have done. We looked at all the things she needed to do that she had neglected. Starting with sorting out a box of photographs.
By focusing on these small tasks each week made her feel she had achieved something, even if it were really small. Eventually she had a whole list of things that she needed and wanted to do and was happy to go on her way. A year later – middle of winter – she came back! Same problem. But it only took 4 sessions of therapy this time to get her back on track and off on her way.
Also see: Mild depression