{"id":4234,"date":"2016-02-02T13:32:47","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T13:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/2016\/02\/02\/sad-january\/"},"modified":"2023-02-21T14:46:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T14:46:58","slug":"sad-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/sad-january\/","title":{"rendered":"Meditation For Seasonal Affective Disorder &#8211; Managing SAD"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4234\" class=\"elementor elementor-4234\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d0aa1bf elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d0aa1bf\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7497614d\" data-id=\"7497614d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dbfb70 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dbfb70\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>It\u2019s known throughout the world that the British like to talk about the weather. The weather in Britain is the cause of grand disappointments, high drama and short bursts of sunny exuberance. But it\u2019s the dreary, drizzly and grey skied that most defines the national mood, and when combined with short days this monotonous gloominess can have a real and damaging impact on people\u2019s state of mind.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-02d649f elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"02d649f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/find-a-course\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon elementor-align-icon-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fab fa-discourse\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Find an upcoming course<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54e1ca9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"54e1ca9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder and is thought to <a href=\"\\&quot;http:\/\/www.mind.org.uk\/information-support\/types-of-mental-health-problems\/seasonal-affective-disorder\/#.VqH3OFOLSi4\\&quot;\">affect one in ten people<\/a> in northern Europe. While the cold is certainly unlikely to help, it appears that the real trigger is a lack of light. In the winter many people find themselves going to work in the dark, coming home in the dark, and experiencing very little natural light, a situation exacerbated when dark clouds are a permanent fixture.<\/p><p><a href=\"\\&quot;http:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/KSX13N4TCH1-e1453831259269.jpg\\&quot;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\\&quot;aligncenter\" src=\"\\&quot;http:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/KSX13N4TCH1-e1453831259269.jpg\\&quot;\" width=\"\\&quot;960\\&quot;\" height=\"\\&quot;640\\&quot;\" \/><\/a><\/p><h2>Seasonal Affective Disorder impacts Emotional &amp; Physical Wellbeing<\/h2><p>Circadian rhythms (the 24-hour cycle of physiological processes your body undergoes each day) can be affected by this lack of light, disrupting sleep patterns that can all too often impact our emotional and even physical wellbeing. Being without daylight seems to increase melatonin, a chemical that is associated with symptoms of depression, and in winter people\u2019s serotonin levels (broadly known as \u201cthe happy hormone\u201d) are lower. While the majority of people seem to experience low moods in the cold and dark months (especially if the summer has been equally miserable), some people find winter truly, life-disruptingly cheerless.<\/p><p>Unfortunately, only bears and tiny mammals are allowed to hibernate during winter, but for the rest of us there is often a pressure to carrying on functioning as normal. This adds to the low emotional moods many experience during these wintery months. For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder finding ways to cope with the condition is very important to ensure they don\u2019t spend a significant part of the year feeling awful.<\/p><h2>Seasonal Affective Disorder is Associated with Stress<\/h2><p>SAD is <a href=\"\\&quot;https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/why-meditate\/mind\/sad\/\\&quot;\">strongly associated with stress<\/a>, and can be alleviated through <a href=\"\\&quot;https:\/\/www.https:\/\/https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/what-is-meditation\/vedic\/\\&quot;\">Beeja meditation<\/a> (particularly in the lead up to winter), promoting a healthy hormonal balance and regulating your stress response. You can also try to reduce your stress in other ways, such as trying to organise the year so the major demands on you such as marriages, births and job changes &#8211; although of course it\u2019s hard to control these factors all of the time &#8211; occur in the summer.<\/p><p>If you have the money, going away somewhere with long days and sunshine can also make people feel better in the winter months, even if it is advisable to exercise caution. Spending a week or so soaking up the sunshine only to return to chilly darkness can at times exacerbate the condition, so getting advice from a doctor before going is important. It may also be better to organise a holiday towards the end of the season so there\u2019s both something to look forward throughout winter and lengthening days to return to.<\/p><p>Light therapy has also been shown to be an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is why here at Will Williams we are giving away a SAD lamp to someone deserving to get them through the winter months. All we want to know is: <strong>what do you like to do when you\u2019re feeling low? <\/strong>Let us know via social media to be in with a chance!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-82010b5\" data-id=\"82010b5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-d75fd60 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d75fd60\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-b27c8fc\" data-id=\"b27c8fc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0cd6a0d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0cd6a0d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-723\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo.png 474w, https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/beeja-text-logo-300x134.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-359ec51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"359ec51\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Benefits of Beeja Meditation<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3850440 elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"3850440\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor\/assets\/css\/widget-icon-list.min.css\">\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Reduce stress and anxiety<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Greater clarity and calm<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Increase focus<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Enhance relationships<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Sleep better<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Feel energised<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b24380 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0b24380\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-901\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/blog-02-150x300.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s known throughout the world that the British like to talk about the weather. The weather in Britain is the cause of grand disappointments, high drama and short bursts of sunny exuberance. But it\u2019s the dreary, drizzly and grey skied that most defines the national mood, and when combined with short days this monotonous gloominess [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[22],"class_list":["post-4234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beeja-news","tag-mind"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4234"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16321,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4234\/revisions\/16321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beejameditation.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}