Winter depression? So you can get through the winter happily

Running in the fall

Moderate endurance sports with a low heart rate are suitable for strengthening the immune system.

(Photo: dpa)

Anyone who grew up in our latitudes has developed a fine sensor system for the different seasons. Even without looking at the calendar, our senses and moods know that autumn is slowly approaching, the dark season is approaching.

The first cold symptoms creep in, most of which this year are not related to Corona. It is also more difficult for managers and employees to overcome their weaker self at work and sport. The body gradually adapts to winter.

The mechanisms are well known: the sleep messenger melatonin, which is produced in the pineal gland, increases and serotonin levels decrease. These are the triggers for a cloudy mood, also called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) in the specialist world. The consecutive clinical symptoms can be cravings (especially for carbohydrates), fatigue, and lack of drive and joyless. All things that you don’t need.

Especially now, when around 70 percent of the population react to the change of season with a more or less pronounced autumn / winter blues, you should consciously take countermeasures. There are a lot of things you can do to keep yourself mentally and physically fit.

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Incidentally, the dark season also has something positive: The nights are getting longer and we usually sleep an hour more as a result.

What can you do?

The flu vaccination is compulsory this year. With social distancing and a mask, we were not only able to keep the coronavirus in check last winter, but also other viral infections such as classic influenza. We remember: The extraordinarily strong flu wave of 2017/18 is estimated to have killed around 25,000 people in Germany. It doesn’t have to be.

In addition to the Corona vaccination, the flu vaccination is on the to-do list. It makes sense from mid-October. Especially because experts expect an increase in flu cases this autumn and winter. Our immune system is poorly prepared for influenza. Due to the intensive Corona hygiene measures, we are no longer trained. Many children in Europe are already infected with the common cold virus RSV. The children’s clinics are already full of such cases.

Movement remains the be-all and end-all in the darker months of the year. Long walks can replace jogging and cycling. It is best to go out to exercise at lunchtime because that’s when the daylight is brightest. Daylight is two to three times stronger than artificial light, even when the sky is cloudy. Together with the fresh air, it stimulates the immune system. We need this especially in autumn and winter because we are increasingly surrounded by bacteria and viruses during these times of the year.

If the weather is actually too bad for outdoor sports, you can also do it indoors, for example in the gym, yoga room or indoor pool. In my opinion, moderate endurance sports with a low heart rate are particularly recommended to strengthen the immune system. According to my observation, many managers, especially at an advanced age, like to exaggerate when training and do not find the right balance.

Exhausting stress weakens the immune system in the short term. More recent studies by the Sport University Cologne have even shown that moderate endurance exercise can activate anti-inflammatory immune cells in the blood, the so-called regulatory T cells. In the case of infections with fever, swollen lymph nodes and general symptoms, sports are strictly prohibited. Going to the sauna, on the other hand, is balm for the body. The temperature fluctuations change and expand the blood vessels. The cold-warm change mobilizes the immune system.

When it comes to nutrition, it is currently important to produce as many happiness hormones as possible. Bananas, nuts and chocolate in particular increase the production of the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor of the messenger substance serotonin. Fragrances can also increase well-being – such as bergamot and jasmine oils. Also surround yourself with bright colors. And above all, don’t forget about social contacts. Regular dinners with good friends raise the mood considerably. The aftermath of the corona restrictions is that many people are now setting up their private life more comfortably than before.

Do supplements make sense in the dark ages?

Basically, I’m not a fan of pills. Whether a vitamin D substitution is beneficial, for example, has not yet been scientifically proven. However, there are indications that this “sun vitamin” supports the function of the immune system. Less daylight and less sun always mean less vitamin D production by the body. In summer we can cover 80 to 90 percent of our vitamin D requirements with the natural light source of the sun. In our diet, vitamin D is found in fatty fish such as herring and salmon, but also in eggs, cheese, butter and, above all, cod liver oil.

Since the body cannot store zinc, we have to keep ingesting zinc. It is found in animal products such as meat, milk, fish, eggs and in whole grain products as well as in nuts. In the end, however, as with a vitamin D substitution, an exchange with a trusted doctor must result in whether a zinc preparation should be taken in winter.

More: Too many pills and surgeries: why less is often more in medicine

Curt Diehm is the medical director of the Max Grundig Clinic, which specializes in executives. The internist also teaches as an adjunct professor at Heidelberg University and is the author of over 200 original scientific publications as well as many non-fiction books.

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