Frozen

Minnesota is in the grips of another arctic blast. Today the windchill will be around -40 and tomorrow won't be any better. Schools and businesses have closed for safety reasons, but others are still carrying on as usual. The only good things about it are that there are a few science experiments that can only be done in this weather (using a frozen banana as a hammer and throwing boiling water in the air and watching it evaporate instantly) and the sun is shining.

Winter is always a tough time when struggling with depression or bipolar. There isn't enough sun and we tend to isolate ourselves indoors because of the cold weather. Hibernation isn't a great option, as it tends to separate you even farther from your support system, you lose your job for being absent, and really, no one can sleep that long besides Rip Van Winkle and bears. Note, I didn't say I couldn't stay in bed that long, just sleep.
To try to offset the effects of winter, I boost the amount of vitamin D I'm taking, drink a lot more water and juice, and try to eat more fruit/vitamin C. This doesn't always help, but at least I feel like I'm working on ways to better the situation. The next thing I'm going to look at doing is getting some full-spectrum lights.

Full-spectrum lights contain more light waves than regular bulbs. They mimic sunlight and are used for those with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). My understanding is that they help with the replenishment of vitamin D and K, those that are lost when the sun is farthest away from our hemisphere. Although I'm not a lights on type person, I prefer quasi-darkness, this is one thing that I think could make a difference during these long winter months.

That's it from here. How do you cope with the cold, loss of sunlight, and being stuck indoors for long periods of time?