Have you noticed the days are getting shorter? Fall is coming. And millions of people will experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which can cause low mood and energy during fall and winter. But there are powerful natural elements that we can use now to improve our mental health outcomes later. Join me to learn the five simple practices you can start doing now to support your mental wellness through the fall and winter.
In this episode of The Expansion Room, we will discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), what it is and how to identify the symptoms. We will also discuss the science behind how it effects your body and mood. And finally, we'll discuss what are the five habits that can help you find relief.
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In this episode of The Expansion Room, Shervon Laurice introduces the topic of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and how shifts in light, temperature, and seasonal cycles can deeply impact mental health. She explains that SAD is more than just the “winter blues,” sharing common symptoms like fatigue, low mood, carb cravings, and loss of motivation, while also noting that it affects millions—especially women—starting in their teens and twenties. Framing the conversation around spiritual and holistic growth, Shervon highlights the healing power of fresh air and sunlight, encouraging listeners to prepare now with daily practices that nurture resilience and balance through seasonal transitions.
In this illuminating segment of The Expansion Room, Shervon Laurice delves into the science behind seasonal affective disorder, reminding us that as natural beings, we are deeply influenced by the rhythms of sunlight and nature. She explains how daily exposure to morning and evening light helps regulate serotonin and melatonin—our body's mood and sleep chemicals—while encouraging mindful practices like walking without distractions, forest bathing, and simply breathing with presence. Grounded in both research and her own lived experience, Shervon emphasizes that reconnecting with nature isn't just healing—it's essential for emotional resilience, mental clarity, and spiritual alignment, especially as we approach the darker months.
In this empowering segment of The Expansion Room, Shervon Laurice shares five holistic, proactive strategies to prepare for and reduce the effects of seasonal affective disorder before the colder months take hold. She encourages listeners to “bank” vitamin D and strengthen their circadian rhythms now—through morning sunlight, outdoor movement, mindful nature time, and stress-reducing rituals—so that the body’s internal systems are resilient and regulated when daylight fades. Shervon also invites us to get honest about our cold-weather limits and prepare compassionate alternatives like light therapy lamps and cozy sun exposure routines, all while fostering emotional connection, nervous system calm, and joyful rituals rooted in presence and self-care.
In the final segment of this heartfelt episode of The Expansion Room, Shervon Laurice guides listeners through building a seasonal wellness routine that includes consistent sleep patterns, mindful evening rituals, nutrient-rich foods, and gentle outdoor movement to support circadian balance and emotional stability. She emphasizes the importance of nourishing connections, breathwork, and cozy self-care practices like journaling and herbal teas—offering a compassionate roadmap for moving into winter with resilience, presence, and warmth. With an invitation to reach out for support and a preview of next week’s conversation on spirituality with John Paul Anderson, Shervon closes with wisdom, hope, and an affirmation of our power to thrive, not just survive, the darker seasons.
00:01:09.690 --> 00:01:28.390 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hello, and welcome back to the Expansion Room. This is a space where we learn about powerful tools for deep healing, clarity, and growth. My name is Siobhan Larisse, and I'm your host, and we will be continuing our exploration this week
00:01:28.470 --> 00:01:38.379 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Of holistic practices that we can incorporate, into our daily lives for improving our mental health.
00:01:38.530 --> 00:01:45.669 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so today, we're going to be talking about seasonal affective disorder.
00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:52.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And for some of you, you may either be in the camp of, What is that?
00:01:52.910 --> 00:01:59.199 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And for others, you may know that all too well, about that all too well.
00:01:59.350 --> 00:02:05.620 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So here, where I live in the Mid-Atlantic, in Maryland, the temperatures have been…
00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:15.180 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: unseasonably cool. We have been in the 70s for the better part of 2 weeks, which is very rare for August.
00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:25.250 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: into Labor Day, into early September. We're usually either experiencing high 80s, Sometimes a heat wave.
00:02:25.780 --> 00:02:28.559 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so here we are with these
00:02:28.810 --> 00:02:36.559 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Unseasonably cool temperatures, and everyone is starting to talk about and think about fall.
00:02:36.810 --> 00:02:49.040 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It doesn't help that Starbucks has already started their pumpkin spice latte sales, which is always, what seems to usher some people into fall.
00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:59.060 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But the sweaters have come out at nighttime, jackets have come out at nighttime for people, and we're starting to talk about…
00:02:59.210 --> 00:03:05.819 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: The transition to the cooler temperatures. The transition to shorter days.
00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:12.270 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I've noticed the shorter days, so I'm very sensitive to
00:03:12.430 --> 00:03:18.609 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: the light, and, warmth. I love warm temperatures. I have
00:03:18.650 --> 00:03:36.930 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Caribbean blood that runs through me, and so when I'm in the Caribbean, I am very happy there. You'll probably never see me in my life say, I'm going on a ski trip, unless I know good and well they have a lodge, with a fireplace, and ample hot chocolate.
00:03:37.390 --> 00:03:42.490 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Otherwise, I'm not going. Because I'm definitely not putting on skis to ski anywhere.
00:03:42.830 --> 00:03:48.719 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But I've been noticing the days getting shorter. I get up at the same time every morning.
00:03:48.830 --> 00:03:52.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it has now taken longer and longer for the sun to come up.
00:03:53.030 --> 00:03:59.040 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And in the evenings, there's less and less daylight as the evening wears on.
00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:09.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, I'm always a little bit bummed out by that, but I know that it's part of the cycle of our planet and where I live in the Northern Hemisphere.
00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:17.439 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I've worked with a number of clients over the years who have
00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:30.809 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Experience some level of the winter blues, that kind of meh feeling after you've had these short, dark days and these cold, gray days.
00:04:30.870 --> 00:04:41.349 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But seasonal affective disorder is actually a mental health condition that is diagnosable and treatable to some extent.
00:04:41.790 --> 00:04:48.190 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, you're probably wondering, well, why are we talking about this so early?
00:04:48.640 --> 00:04:50.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It's September.
00:04:50.710 --> 00:04:56.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Most people start to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder
00:04:57.180 --> 00:05:00.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hmm, right around the end of October.
00:05:01.270 --> 00:05:09.460 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to somewhere around the middle of November, they start to notice… The lower energy.
00:05:09.650 --> 00:05:13.650 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That they're usually lower energy than they usually feel.
00:05:14.050 --> 00:05:22.870 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: lower, or… Decreased desire, we'll say, or motivation, to do the things that they normally would do.
00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:26.020 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Low mood starts to creep in.
00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:39.080 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And for some people, this also brings about rumination, a little bit of anxiety, less of a window of tolerance for stress.
00:05:39.790 --> 00:05:46.339 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… A whole host of other things that we'll talk about with this subject.
00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:54.089 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, before we move ahead, We are going to define…
00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:04.650 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: What is seasonal affective disorder, so that we can then really think about how it affects our lives if we have it.
00:06:04.830 --> 00:06:08.130 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then, what we can do about it.
00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:18.600 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So… I titled this episode, How Fresh Air and Sunlight Improves Mental Health, because
00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:24.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That's one of the ways to treat it, is getting out into fresh air.
00:06:24.860 --> 00:06:27.360 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And getting out into sunshine.
00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:37.719 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And if you can do that on a daily basis, especially starting when it's warm, it's easier to maintain when it's colder.
00:06:39.410 --> 00:06:51.379 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So… Seasonal affective disorder is defined As a type of depression, That follows seasonal patterns.
00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:55.669 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Typically, it's worse in the fall and winter.
00:06:55.990 --> 00:06:59.719 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And people start feeling the effects, as I said.
00:06:59.930 --> 00:07:04.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: by mid-fall. End of October, early November. Now.
00:07:05.280 --> 00:07:09.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Funny enough, most people who have seasonal affective disorder
00:07:10.020 --> 00:07:23.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I would say 95% have it during that season, that fall, winter. There's a tiny, tiny percentage of people that experience it in the summertime.
00:07:23.960 --> 00:07:27.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Where every summer, because of the heat.
00:07:27.790 --> 00:07:33.060 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And the extended light, their depression kicks in.
00:07:33.280 --> 00:07:40.359 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so it's the… I guess, the reverse or the mirrored version of seasonal affective disorder.
00:07:40.520 --> 00:07:49.190 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Not many people have it, and I've treated one client who's had it in all the 22 years that I've been a therapist, just one person. So…
00:07:49.550 --> 00:07:56.170 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We'll stick with what the majority experience is as we're having this conversation.
00:07:56.520 --> 00:08:07.859 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Some of the common symptoms, as I mentioned, is low mood, fatigue, like, physically just not up for it. Oversleeping.
00:08:08.840 --> 00:08:21.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Carb cravings. That's a big one. You know, many people joke about the 5 or 10 pounds they gain in the winter because of the winter blues, sitting on the couch at home, we eat more carbs.
00:08:21.950 --> 00:08:31.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It does… probably doesn't help that our favorite holidays are pretty much running through the winter, in that regard as well, but literally, your
00:08:32.220 --> 00:08:36.660 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Cravings change when it gets cold.
00:08:36.760 --> 00:08:47.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And they kind of attribute that to, in some ways, to our evolution, but some of it, too, is that self-soothing.
00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:55.980 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? When we feel an increase as human beings in our stress levels, many people
00:08:56.090 --> 00:09:02.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: unconsciously self-soothe. And the easiest way to self-soothe is with food.
00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:09.819 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And comfort food, carbs in general, are the way that we self-soothe.
00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:23.729 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Sugar helps to soothe anxiety, believe it or not. It probably doesn't help anxiety as well, but when it's going in, it actually has the effect of soothing anxiety, stress as well.
00:09:23.920 --> 00:09:32.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Another, symptom is difficulty in concentrating. Like, just the inability to focus.
00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:37.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As well as there's a loss of motivation in doing things.
00:09:37.860 --> 00:09:38.960 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So…
00:09:39.390 --> 00:09:53.879 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: For myself, I've never gotten diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, but it's something I started to realize in my 20s that I had some level of these symptoms going on.
00:09:54.090 --> 00:09:58.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Every year, When it got cold and dark.
00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:09.139 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So there became a point where I knew that I had to kind of make some level of adjustment in taking care of myself.
00:10:09.370 --> 00:10:28.739 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: My friends joke that they see me all summer long. I make sure I make the rounds and see people while it's warm, because except for the winter holidays, no one sees me. I try not to have to leave my house for any social activity, because for me.
00:10:28.790 --> 00:10:34.360 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It's too cold. It's dark. I just want to be hunkered down on my couch under a blanket.
00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:48.339 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so there have been adjustments that I've had made in my lifetime because of the winter blues, seasonal affective disorder-type symptoms. So we'll talk some about that.
00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:53.720 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So those are the main symptoms that most people experience.
00:10:54.970 --> 00:11:06.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: the difference between, say, the winter blues and seasonal affective disorder is kind of the numbers. Like, people actually
00:11:06.300 --> 00:11:17.150 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: how severe their symptoms are, and whether they go to a doctor to get diagnosed, right? Or a mental health specialist to get diagnosed.
00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:31.070 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, let's talk about the numbers. It affects quite a bit of people. 5% of the U.S. population experience the actual diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder.
00:11:31.140 --> 00:11:35.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That comes out to about 10 million people.
00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:37.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: in the United States alone.
00:11:38.800 --> 00:11:52.130 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then… There's another 10 to 20% of the population that experiences the winter blues, that meh feeling.
00:11:52.230 --> 00:11:53.509 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That people get.
00:11:53.980 --> 00:11:59.669 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Women are 4 times more likely to experience this disorder.
00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:08.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And the symptoms usually begin for people somewhere in their late teens or 20s.
00:12:09.190 --> 00:12:12.930 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That people start to notice that this affects their lives.
00:12:13.410 --> 00:12:21.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: There is some science behind Why this happens to us, right?
00:12:22.170 --> 00:12:32.129 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… It happens to… A large percentage of people on the planet who experience what we call winter.
00:12:32.410 --> 00:12:48.720 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, when we come back after our break, we're going to talk about the science behind this, disorder, this diagnosis, and start to talk about what are some options, what can we do about it?
00:12:49.050 --> 00:12:50.280 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So come on back.
00:15:05.560 --> 00:15:09.790 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Welcome back to the Expansion Room. Today, we're talking about
00:15:09.900 --> 00:15:17.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Seasonal affective disorder and how fresh air and sunlight could benefit your mental health.
00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:22.380 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: if you experience this diagnosis. And so…
00:15:22.560 --> 00:15:30.910 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As we're stepping forward into this segment, we're going to talk a little bit about the science behind this diagnosis.
00:15:32.290 --> 00:15:42.010 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Seasonal affective disorder is really about the decrease in sunlight, and no matter how much
00:15:42.280 --> 00:15:47.959 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We, as a people, a species on this planet, modernize.
00:15:48.160 --> 00:15:55.239 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We have to continue to acknowledge that we Are all part of nature.
00:15:55.990 --> 00:16:02.090 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And that we run, like, our bodies literally run.
00:16:02.190 --> 00:16:16.070 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: on nature. We are connected, no matter how much we want to either ignore it or forget it, however we would describe that. And so, we're connected to the rise and sunset
00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:23.990 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: of That big ball of fire in the sky, and it… Affects our circadian rhythm.
00:16:24.210 --> 00:16:29.390 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That is our body's natural internal clock.
00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… We all have it.
00:16:33.510 --> 00:16:42.089 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And when the sun rises, It triggers some bio action, and when the sun
00:16:42.390 --> 00:16:52.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: sets in the evening, it triggers another bio action. So, our bodies are in sync with natural light.
00:16:53.090 --> 00:16:57.949 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, let's talk about those chemicals in our bodies for a moment.
00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:14.099 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: A couple of weeks ago, we talked about neurotransmitters and how they make serotonin in our bodies, and through our central nervous system. Not just in our brain, but also that runs through our digestive system.
00:17:14.280 --> 00:17:18.409 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, serotonin is that feel-good.
00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:26.719 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: chemical in our brain that helps with mood regulation, right? There's another called melatonin.
00:17:26.869 --> 00:17:28.819 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And we often see
00:17:28.970 --> 00:17:39.079 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: melatonin sold in pharmacies and in stores, to help people sleep. But we actually make our own melatonin in our bodies.
00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:47.979 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… The reason for melatonin, at least one of them, is to help us get sleepy.
00:17:48.370 --> 00:17:58.219 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Fall asleep, and stay asleep, so that our bodies recharge the way they were designed to do.
00:17:59.660 --> 00:18:06.689 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Our lives, for most of us modern people, have become really indoors.
00:18:06.900 --> 00:18:13.969 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We are focused more indoors and on technology than we are on nature and getting outside.
00:18:14.530 --> 00:18:23.290 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, how our bodies are designed is, in the mornings, when we wake up, And the sun comes up.
00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:31.800 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We should naturally be getting some sunlight in our eyes in that first hour of the sunrise.
00:18:32.670 --> 00:18:40.520 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And when we do, it then helps to reset our internal biological clock.
00:18:41.430 --> 00:18:49.670 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… Then you go all day. There's a rise in serotonin in the morning.
00:18:49.790 --> 00:18:53.450 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right in through the early part of the afternoon.
00:18:53.770 --> 00:19:05.549 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: If this is going on. So, every morning, getting outside and getting some sunlight in your body, on your body, in your eye, alright?
00:19:05.700 --> 00:19:12.549 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: triggers this increase of serotonin. You know what it also does, then? It turns down melatonin.
00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:23.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Melatonin will then kind of recede into the background. Serotonin gets you into action and moving throughout your day.
00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:29.260 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In the afternoon, there's, like, a little bit of a balance between the two.
00:19:29.370 --> 00:19:32.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then as you approach sunset.
00:19:34.350 --> 00:19:39.250 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Melatonin starts to get triggered and rises in the body.
00:19:39.930 --> 00:19:45.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And serotonin then recedes into the background.
00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:48.439 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Melatonin helps us to relax.
00:19:48.780 --> 00:19:51.469 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It helps us to get sleepy.
00:19:51.590 --> 00:19:55.670 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It helps us to fall off to sleep and stay asleep.
00:19:56.510 --> 00:20:06.430 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, as the sun sets, that's the process. But oftentimes, we're inside our homes, and we don't even see the sunset.
00:20:07.360 --> 00:20:13.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Have you ever noticed, if you're into beach vacations at least, and this is something I've noticed.
00:20:13.910 --> 00:20:18.079 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When I go to beach… on beach vacations, I sleep better.
00:20:18.410 --> 00:20:28.779 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Now, some of it might be the salty air, the sound of the ocean, but I truly believe it's also that I'm getting up early and enjoying the sun.
00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:36.579 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I almost inevitably, because I'm on vacation, am outside when the sun sets.
00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:46.080 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that my circadian rhythm, that biological clock, is reset every day while I'm on vacation.
00:20:46.210 --> 00:21:01.399 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that's a little bit of the science behind how this all works, how our bodies, these wonderful biological machines, actually work. And so, this impacts our energy levels.
00:21:01.870 --> 00:21:06.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: our mood stability, Our emotional resilience.
00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:12.509 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When daylight decreases in the fall and winter.
00:21:12.840 --> 00:21:16.230 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That clock can get out of sync.
00:21:16.740 --> 00:21:23.640 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it leads to, for a lot of people, irregular sleep, Fatigue, and brain fog.
00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:27.639 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: For me, definitely, if I go…
00:21:28.090 --> 00:21:44.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: more than 3 or 4 days without being outside for, say, just a 20-minute walk in the morning, or if I don't get it in in the morning, then getting an evening walk in before sun… just before sunset, my sleep starts to get a little wonky.
00:21:44.620 --> 00:21:56.560 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I slip back to about 4, maybe 5 hours of sleep, instead of the good 7 hours of sleep that my body needs. Some people need a little more.
00:21:57.050 --> 00:22:01.790 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But my magic number seems to be 7, and it has been for a long time.
00:22:02.060 --> 00:22:08.329 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But if I'm not getting out, taking a walk in sun, then it slips.
00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:26.479 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And when you get to a certain age in life, especially as a woman slipping towards menopause, your sleep is already gonna get a little wonky. So you've got to have all the tools in your life to help you get as much of the sleep as you can.
00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:40.190 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: One of the things about fresh air and sunlight and how it supports mental health is that that early sun exposure sets the circadian rhythm.
00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:45.309 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Set your mood, set your sleep cycle, your sleep pattern.
00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:50.720 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: The evening walk helps to also reduce Stress.
00:22:51.340 --> 00:22:55.589 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And regulate that melatonin level, and the melatonin release.
00:22:57.080 --> 00:23:02.029 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: fresh air itself, right? Just being outside.
00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:07.059 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In the flow of air helps to reduce stress hormones.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:18.009 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it supports mindfulness, because if you're going for a walk, particularly without headphones, not listening to music.
00:23:18.010 --> 00:23:29.479 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Not listening to podcasts or audiobooks, just allowing yourself to listen to nature, or better yet, listen to yourself breathing.
00:23:30.460 --> 00:23:31.509 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As you walk.
00:23:33.050 --> 00:23:37.360 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? It becomes a practice in mindfulness.
00:23:39.060 --> 00:23:44.640 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And because you're bringing your full awareness, your full presence to it.
00:23:45.690 --> 00:23:57.180 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, that's something else that you can maybe incorporate in a way in your life that's not too, you know, too much or too jarring.
00:23:58.100 --> 00:24:06.779 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Spending intentional time in nature, so maybe going for a hike among the trees, where you get the…
00:24:07.660 --> 00:24:27.300 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I forget what they call, I think it's almost like pheromones, tree pheromones. I'm sure that's not the right word. But there's something that trees release that is beneficial to us as humans. So when we go to walk in nature among the trees, we get a double benefit.
00:24:28.830 --> 00:24:44.099 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In Japan, I believe, they did some research years ago, because also in their culture, a lot of people had become much more inclined to be indoors, and depression… they also noticed that depression was on the rise.
00:24:44.780 --> 00:24:47.809 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And they started to do some research.
00:24:48.340 --> 00:24:55.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And out of that research came this thing that we now call forest bathing.
00:24:55.730 --> 00:25:04.319 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: If they could take people out into nature among the trees for a certain amount of time each day or each week.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:09.510 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: They noticed that their depression improved significantly.
00:25:10.010 --> 00:25:21.049 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, a program… really was born where this therapeutic process of taking groups of people out into nature.
00:25:21.620 --> 00:25:24.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Basically, now, nature therapy or forest bathing.
00:25:25.370 --> 00:25:35.569 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to help improve their mental health. That practice has also come to the United States. I know at least two therapists in my area who offer
00:25:35.990 --> 00:25:39.280 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Talking therapy outside?
00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:43.719 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Or, offer forest bathing for groups of people.
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:50.120 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Because of this research. So it's something… About nature and us.
00:25:50.250 --> 00:25:53.470 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That are truly all connected.
00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:57.540 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And no matter what our…
00:25:58.120 --> 00:26:10.540 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: career paths are, because most of us are indoors these days. We've got to be able to find our way to building in some time to connect.
00:26:10.750 --> 00:26:24.090 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: with nature. It helps our mood, our energy, our stress level, clarifies your mind for the kind of work that you're doing in the world. Particularly, I think, if you're a business owner.
00:26:24.090 --> 00:26:41.020 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We can't just be at… in our offices, hunkered down all the time, and not going outside when we are trying to think of new and innovative ways to work or create and offer things to the world.
00:26:41.600 --> 00:26:46.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, thinking about… sunlight.
00:26:47.040 --> 00:26:48.290 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Nature.
00:26:48.570 --> 00:26:49.870 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Fresh air.
00:26:50.300 --> 00:26:52.870 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When was the last time you went for a little walk?
00:26:54.900 --> 00:27:00.769 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And have you noticed when you go for a walk, that something shifts within you?
00:27:05.550 --> 00:27:07.129 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: We're going to take a break.
00:27:07.810 --> 00:27:11.040 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And when we come back, we will talk about
00:27:11.330 --> 00:27:26.190 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: really practical ways to bring in some of these things to affect, in a positive way, seasonal affective disorder, and to start now, September, so that
00:27:27.070 --> 00:27:31.869 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Fall into winter doesn't feel so much like drudgery.
00:27:32.330 --> 00:27:33.380 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So come on back.
00:29:41.060 --> 00:29:47.970 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Welcome back to the expansion room, and in this segment, we're going to talk about what can we do
00:29:48.390 --> 00:29:54.140 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to affect Seasonal Affective Disorder now, in September.
00:29:54.730 --> 00:29:59.169 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that… We feel better during winter months.
00:29:59.620 --> 00:30:06.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, one of the things that we can do is be really conscious.
00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:09.409 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: About how we prepare.
00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:13.900 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I have friends who grew up
00:30:14.700 --> 00:30:21.159 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Canning, so their parents may either have been on a farm or, would get
00:30:21.620 --> 00:30:37.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: like a CSA or food products that were in abundance, and they knew how to preserve those foods in a process, of course, that we call canning, so that we'd have those foods
00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:42.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: throughout the winter months, right? Where not much is growing.
00:30:42.800 --> 00:30:49.640 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, think of it that way. That's what we're going to be doing this month of September.
00:30:49.780 --> 00:30:53.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: While we're transitioning into fall.
00:30:53.750 --> 00:30:57.139 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So let's start with the idea of banking.
00:30:57.560 --> 00:31:06.599 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: some vitamin D, right? We think of vitamin D as literally a vitamin, but it actually produces in our body naturally
00:31:07.330 --> 00:31:13.830 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: as a hormone, And it produces, when we're outside, in the sun.
00:31:14.420 --> 00:31:24.840 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: about, if you're fair-skinned, 20 minutes. For people who are dark-skinned like me, well, we have to be out there a little longer, right? Like, maybe 40 minutes, 45 minutes.
00:31:24.840 --> 00:31:36.579 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But being outside a little bit every day helps you to build up your reserves, so to speak. So, banking some vitamin D
00:31:37.490 --> 00:31:41.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that when the light becomes less.
00:31:41.930 --> 00:32:00.069 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: in fall through winter, we almost have, like, a storage of vitamin D in our bodies, and it helps us to regulate our mood for longer, so you don't feel that plummet
00:32:00.110 --> 00:32:02.410 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Early in the season.
00:32:02.690 --> 00:32:16.070 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Another thing we can do is to really strengthen our circadian rhythm, that biological internal clock. Getting consistent morning sunlight.
00:32:16.710 --> 00:32:32.339 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which really helps to train your body's clock, to reset your body's clock, so that you're getting ample sleep, which helps to also manage your mood. So, for some people.
00:32:32.420 --> 00:32:36.790 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It can be going for that 20-minute walk in the morning.
00:32:38.270 --> 00:32:57.900 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: you'll get the sunlight for the vitamin D, but you'll also, with the sun in your eye, because the sun is lower in that first hour that it rises, it's right at the right angle, so that your brain, because you've seen it, registers
00:32:58.190 --> 00:32:59.549 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: the sunlight.
00:32:59.710 --> 00:33:09.400 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And that's the kind of resetting that they're talking about when they say resetting your circadian rhythm. So you get two for one when you go outside for the walk.
00:33:09.570 --> 00:33:15.670 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, on the days that, are shorter.
00:33:16.500 --> 00:33:20.620 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Your circadian rhythm will be more stable.
00:33:21.140 --> 00:33:30.599 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You'll reduce that experience of fatigue and the shift or mood swings that you might experience.
00:33:30.990 --> 00:33:36.109 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Now… As it gets colder, and maybe the weather
00:33:36.210 --> 00:33:39.260 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Gets to a place that's not optimal.
00:33:40.410 --> 00:33:58.749 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Figuring out ways to still get into the sun, I call it being a lizard, is finding a spot where you can stand in the sun and let the sun hit your face. So you might be on your patio, your fire escape, your deck, standing just outside your front door.
00:33:58.860 --> 00:34:04.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You might not go for a walk, but just standing there and soaking up the sun for a little bit.
00:34:04.740 --> 00:34:07.420 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Can still give you a benefit.
00:34:07.570 --> 00:34:10.449 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? But right now, in September.
00:34:10.590 --> 00:34:22.460 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: you can bank vitamin D and really train your central nervous… your, circadian rhythms, rather, in order for your biological clock
00:34:22.670 --> 00:34:24.780 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: to work optimally.
00:34:25.810 --> 00:34:42.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Thirdly, you can create… start to create wellness habits for yourself right now, where you not only build outdoor rituals, right? Right now, it's still warm in most places. That morning walk can help… help you.
00:34:42.679 --> 00:34:48.069 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Taking mindful time outside, hiking can help.
00:34:48.080 --> 00:35:01.199 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: yoga in the park. There are places here where I live where they offer yoga in the park. There's actually a place that offers yoga on the farm with goats. But anything that you can do
00:35:01.630 --> 00:35:04.310 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: To get that sun.
00:35:04.560 --> 00:35:09.909 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Hanging out with friends and doing a picnic at a park in the sunlight.
00:35:10.080 --> 00:35:12.899 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? It can be as simple as that.
00:35:13.060 --> 00:35:22.329 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But… Creating wellness rituals that Involve you actually being outside.
00:35:22.650 --> 00:35:28.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: starting now, so that it's easier when November comes around.
00:35:29.040 --> 00:35:31.920 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And you still kind of want to get outside.
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:46.329 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? If we wait until winter, or we wait until it gets cold and dark to start, it's not gonna likely happen. At least, I know me well enough to know, it's not gonna happen.
00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:52.119 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I started this year being much more cognizant
00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:58.669 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Of getting out in the morning, in the sun, and going for at least a 20-minute walk.
00:35:58.900 --> 00:36:12.619 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And I did notice several things. I noticed that my mood is definitely stabilized, but more importantly, my sleep pattern is much more stable. And so…
00:36:12.870 --> 00:36:28.570 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: it's just this kind of simple thing that I feel like I've incorporated for wellness that has really worked for me. So I encourage you to pick one of these outdoor activities and start to build a habit around it.
00:36:28.660 --> 00:36:37.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Warmth and light are easier to carry into the colder months when we've already started those habits.
00:36:38.340 --> 00:36:43.379 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Fourth, reducing your stress levels now.
00:36:44.030 --> 00:36:56.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As I mentioned earlier, our window of tolerance for stress decreases, Daylight decreases, and it gets… Cold.
00:36:57.550 --> 00:37:05.290 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, if you can decrease the things in your life that cause you stress.
00:37:05.820 --> 00:37:13.790 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Consciously just taking a look at your everyday life and making some shifts that are more beneficial to you.
00:37:14.450 --> 00:37:24.210 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: that could be one way to also manage the effects of seasonal affective disorder. And fresh air, nature, and sunshine, and movement…
00:37:24.670 --> 00:37:30.369 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Also help to lower cortisol, and cortisol is the thing that increases
00:37:30.770 --> 00:37:34.020 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: The more stress that we have in our lives.
00:37:34.870 --> 00:37:42.160 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When we're living more in sympathetic nervous system, we have much more cortisol.
00:37:42.980 --> 00:37:51.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: When we're… and that… that actually leads to a whole host, if it's always elevated, leads to a whole host of,
00:37:51.770 --> 00:38:03.150 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: health issues. But if we're in parasympathetic nervous system, right, relaxed, rest, and digest, we lower the cortisol level, that stress hormone.
00:38:03.520 --> 00:38:16.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, entering into fall with a regulated nervous system can make you much more resilient against the seasonal mood dips that can happen.
00:38:17.270 --> 00:38:25.660 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then… fifth, Is really starting now boosting your emotional resilience.
00:38:26.340 --> 00:38:34.550 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Some of that can be, of course, being exposed to nature, fresh air, and being outside, but also
00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:41.269 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Getting together with friends. Getting together with people who really get you.
00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:44.209 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: People who truly love you.
00:38:44.700 --> 00:38:47.260 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And doing that outside.
00:38:47.390 --> 00:38:49.239 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As much as you can.
00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:57.319 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Something about that combination is so helpful to our nervous systems, helping to regulate our mood.
00:38:57.620 --> 00:39:02.430 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It really helps to lower cortisol. And…
00:39:03.050 --> 00:39:08.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It helps us to feel like, even no matter what we're going through.
00:39:08.610 --> 00:39:12.670 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: it's not that bad, right? When we can connect with people.
00:39:12.940 --> 00:39:19.589 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Psychologically, it helps us to build up our reserves so that we can also cope
00:39:19.720 --> 00:39:26.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Better when we are experiencing those dark, cold days of winter.
00:39:29.120 --> 00:39:35.379 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So how do we incorporate these kinds of things into our lives?
00:39:36.490 --> 00:39:37.649 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I think…
00:39:38.030 --> 00:39:50.559 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: we have to start thinking about, okay, what's just one thing that I can do in order to incorporate and feel better?
00:39:50.860 --> 00:39:56.740 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In my day-to-day life. And so, maybe it's the morning sunlight ritual?
00:39:57.430 --> 00:40:02.460 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Maybe it's a daily movement, outdoors ritual?
00:40:03.670 --> 00:40:08.110 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It also could be the mindful breathing in nature.
00:40:08.940 --> 00:40:13.560 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And it could be creating, maybe, a wellness routine.
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:24.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: One of the things that's key, and sometimes my clients will talk about this when we start talking about this cycle of
00:40:24.930 --> 00:40:29.280 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: The season's changing and seasonal affective disorder coming up.
00:40:29.400 --> 00:40:35.879 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Is that they hate going outside in general, but they hate it more in winter.
00:40:36.230 --> 00:40:37.600 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so…
00:40:37.730 --> 00:40:49.530 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I usually can make a deal with them in a way that is, around what their window of tolerance in the winter is.
00:40:49.830 --> 00:40:51.609 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: What's the temperature
00:40:52.170 --> 00:40:59.639 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: that you're willing to go outside in. What's the lowest temperature you're willing to go outside in?
00:41:00.330 --> 00:41:05.800 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: For me, personally, Generally, it's about 39, 40 degrees.
00:41:06.270 --> 00:41:20.059 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I might go outside for a good walk in 35 degree temperatures if it's not so, so, windy, right? If it's not too blustery. But I'm a kind of… my low tolerance is 39 to 40 degrees.
00:41:20.950 --> 00:41:37.259 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, on those colder days, I'm opening all the blinds in my house. I will step out on my deck for a bit in order to get some sunlight in. So, some of my clients can tolerate lower temperatures than I can.
00:41:37.570 --> 00:41:48.890 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But… Whatever the low tolerance is, then the deal is, if they purchase, A light therapy lamp.
00:41:49.420 --> 00:41:54.349 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: That they use every morning, if they haven't gone outside.
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:00.060 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Then that is kind of an equivalent in the self-care side of this.
00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:08.770 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, you want to optimally get sunlight. But if the weather's bad, or if there's ice outside, or if it's really too cold for you.
00:42:09.470 --> 00:42:10.499 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: A sun lamp.
00:42:10.970 --> 00:42:13.929 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: They're cheap, you can get them usually on Amazon.
00:42:14.080 --> 00:42:28.470 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Or some of these… some of the other stores that sell them. I've had the same sun lamp for probably 15 years. I do pull it out usually at the end of August… at the end of October.
00:42:29.240 --> 00:42:37.460 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But I have big windows in my house that I live in now, so I don't tend to use it as much. I can literally…
00:42:37.550 --> 00:42:57.459 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: have light through my house while I'm working from home, and step out on the deck in the mornings for some direct sunlight. So that's a compromise. So those five things. Morning sunlight ritual, daily movement outdoors, mindful breath practice in nature.
00:42:57.770 --> 00:43:08.639 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And creating a seasonal wellness routine for yourself, and which we're going to talk more about when we come back. And that may include
00:43:08.940 --> 00:43:10.909 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Getting a light therapy lamp.
00:43:12.330 --> 00:43:13.800 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, think about that.
00:43:13.950 --> 00:43:21.890 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: what could you possibly do? And then we'll talk a little bit more about this in the last and final segment. Come on back.
00:45:09.900 --> 00:45:16.220 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Welcome back to the Expansion Room, and today we have been talking about seasonal affective disorder.
00:45:16.510 --> 00:45:25.340 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And how fresh air and sunlight can help us to manage it, and therefore manage our mental health.
00:45:25.890 --> 00:45:32.239 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, we're talking now about things that we can do to incorporate in our lives
00:45:32.410 --> 00:45:42.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: On a day-to-day basis, starting now, here, in September, so that we can almost build up reserves, as it were.
00:45:42.630 --> 00:45:48.629 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: For those cold, dark days of fall and winter.
00:45:48.780 --> 00:45:56.850 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, creating… a seasonal wellness routine, I think, is really key.
00:45:56.990 --> 00:46:07.929 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: This is something that you can do consciously, that you can put effort into now, that will carry you into the fall and through the winter.
00:46:08.050 --> 00:46:09.870 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, adjusting sleep.
00:46:10.360 --> 00:46:22.330 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: nutrition, and your overall self-care to align with what your needs are. So, prioritizing getting consistent sleep.
00:46:22.450 --> 00:46:24.939 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Is really, really key.
00:46:25.190 --> 00:46:41.529 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: going to bed, like the experts say, going to bed and wait at the same time and waking up at the same time every day is really key, and I bucked that for a long time, because I was like, I'm not getting up at the same time on the weekends as I do the weekdays.
00:46:41.720 --> 00:46:52.989 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: As I've gotten older, I see some of the wisdom in that, and it has also helped to regulate my sleep. But even more importantly is
00:46:53.930 --> 00:47:00.470 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Getting… doing the things that help to… Really,
00:47:01.370 --> 00:47:06.810 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: have an effect on my circadian rhythm. So that getting out into the sunlight.
00:47:06.860 --> 00:47:24.539 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Early in the morning. For some people, it's going to be the evening walk just before sunset, because maybe they're not morning people. That's fine. Either one works. But it helps you to prioritize a rhythm in your sleep experience.
00:47:24.580 --> 00:47:44.439 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Which is what you're going for. So yes, setting your alarm to ring so that it sends you off to bed at the same time every night and honoring that, and waking up at the same time every day helps to stabilize your circadian rhythms. Limiting your evening light. So if you start to create a sleep routine.
00:47:44.620 --> 00:48:01.540 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You'll want to dim your lights about an hour before you want to go to bed, and not having too much of the blue light, so cell phones, other devices in your eye, so to speak, because it tricks your chemicals into thinking
00:48:01.960 --> 00:48:06.600 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: It's time to be awake, so there's more serotonin and less melatonin.
00:48:06.910 --> 00:48:12.699 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So thinking about that for yourself. So about 1-2 hours before going to bed.
00:48:12.970 --> 00:48:24.709 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: kind of helps to signal to your brain and your central nervous system, melatonin is time to be released, right? As well as that evening sunset.
00:48:25.160 --> 00:48:35.500 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Winding down rituals. So, some people love to have a cup of tea. As I've gotten older, I have learned to appreciate the evening cup of tea after dinner.
00:48:35.500 --> 00:48:45.630 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Some people like to read or do gentle yoga before going to bed. Some say that stretching really helps them to relax.
00:48:45.630 --> 00:48:48.440 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So that they can easily fall off to sleep.
00:48:48.740 --> 00:49:00.120 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Some people also like to just journal at the end of the day, thinking about keeping, like, a gratitude journal, and at the end of the day, just writing down 3-5 things that you're grateful for.
00:49:00.600 --> 00:49:08.530 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? Or if you tend to be a writer in general, that might be the time of day that you write.
00:49:09.390 --> 00:49:26.089 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Another is nutrition, right? We talked about getting the vitamin D support when you're out in the sun every day, but vitamin D is also in foods, right? So, incorporating fatty fish.
00:49:26.090 --> 00:49:32.029 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Fortified dairy, plant milks, mushrooms, functional mushrooms.
00:49:32.070 --> 00:49:34.240 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And…
00:49:34.330 --> 00:49:51.930 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: supplements are there, but you'll want to talk to your provider about what supplements could be of benefit to you. But vitamin D is so key, and if you are much more of an indoor cat than an outdoor cat, you're gonna want to check your vitamin D levels.
00:49:52.310 --> 00:50:06.080 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Okay? Balancing your carbs, your macronutrients, your carbs to proteins. Cravings, as we talked about, are heavier in the fall and winter months, the darker months.
00:50:06.080 --> 00:50:18.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so, pairing complex carbs with lean protein can help stabilize blood sugar, which in a lot of people prevents the energy crash.
00:50:18.900 --> 00:50:23.690 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Right? And then, mood-boosting nutrients.
00:50:23.710 --> 00:50:31.480 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You'll want to be able to eat foods that are high in omega-3s, like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed.
00:50:31.480 --> 00:50:47.759 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: getting in B vitamins, which are good for your brain, through the foods like, and magnesium through green leafy vegetables and seeds. So these are the kind of things you want to be thinking about, and we did an episode a few back…
00:50:48.050 --> 00:51:03.030 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: About nutrition and how it supports our mental health. And so, when you start thinking about what are the nutrients I need to get in to feel more balanced as I prepare for fall, winter.
00:51:03.710 --> 00:51:06.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: These are the kinds of things you want to think about.
00:51:06.640 --> 00:51:15.900 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And then self-care. Movement, scheduling the, exercise, preferably outdoors if you can tolerate it.
00:51:16.310 --> 00:51:21.750 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Gentle exercise is really great. It does not have to be vigorous.
00:51:22.750 --> 00:51:39.330 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: it naturally helps to lift your mood and regulate your sleep as well. Some of the other things you'll want to incorporate is maintaining connections, social connections, with friends.
00:51:39.530 --> 00:51:49.170 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, getting those connections in now, and… try to… Think ahead as to…
00:51:49.300 --> 00:51:56.679 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: How often you might want to get out of your house when it does get darker and colder in order to connect.
00:51:56.890 --> 00:52:03.360 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Alright? So, those shorter days can lead, for some people, to more isolation.
00:52:03.710 --> 00:52:08.010 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: But if you're consciously reaching out.
00:52:08.380 --> 00:52:13.860 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: You won't feel isolated, and your mood will not lower quite as much.
00:52:14.220 --> 00:52:30.840 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Mindfulness and breathwork, which we talked a great deal about in last week's episode, also apply here, because walking outside, you can do that as a mindfulness practice. Listening to your breath as you walk.
00:52:31.040 --> 00:52:35.960 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: A mindfulness practice. It helps to balance your central nervous system.
00:52:36.130 --> 00:52:38.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And so all of these things work together.
00:52:39.240 --> 00:52:45.480 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: All of them work together. And then lastly, create cozy rituals for yourself.
00:52:46.150 --> 00:52:58.880 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Winter is part of our experience, if you live in a hemisphere that, you know, has winter. And you'll want to really think about ways that you can…
00:52:58.910 --> 00:53:10.189 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Create rituals around your self-care. So, the warm teas at night. When you do cook, making something hearty and grounding
00:53:10.430 --> 00:53:17.519 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: My favorite is stews and really thick soups. That's just kind of how I roll for winter.
00:53:17.720 --> 00:53:26.959 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Keeping a gratitude journal so that you can look back on those evenings, during those colder months.
00:53:27.720 --> 00:53:32.380 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Thinking about how you can nurture yourself.
00:53:32.760 --> 00:53:34.059 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: into winter.
00:53:35.290 --> 00:53:38.950 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: So, if you found any of this helpful.
00:53:39.520 --> 00:53:43.080 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And you would like to continue this conversation.
00:53:43.230 --> 00:53:51.419 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: definitely reach out. This is one of the things that we do in our practice all the time, is helping folks
00:53:51.570 --> 00:54:02.529 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: make it through winter. I've had a number of clients over the years, prepare in these ways so that
00:54:02.530 --> 00:54:15.589 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: they can, be fortified for fall and winter. So reaching out would be welcome. I'm at restoretranquility.com or Instagram, and on YouTube.
00:54:15.680 --> 00:54:23.760 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And next week, we will be talking about something near and dear to my heart, spirituality.
00:54:24.300 --> 00:54:43.359 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I've invited John Paul Anderson, who is the creator of Retune Me website and app, and it's an app that is designed for meditation, to help people find their meditative space.
00:54:43.580 --> 00:54:49.899 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Through mindfulness, breathwork, and some other practices, so that they can
00:54:50.030 --> 00:55:00.549 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: build a sense of spirituality. And he's going to share with us his story of his own search for spirituality.
00:55:00.740 --> 00:55:04.969 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: He's much more of a science-y, techy-type guy.
00:55:05.100 --> 00:55:15.070 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And this wasn't something that came naturally to him. So I'm looking forward to having this conversation with him, because I was raised opposite
00:55:15.180 --> 00:55:28.149 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I'm a preacher's kid. I was in church every Sunday, and spirituality and religion kind of runs through my veins, so I think it'll be a great conversation around
00:55:28.560 --> 00:55:31.299 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: What is spirituality, anyway?
00:55:31.530 --> 00:55:35.370 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: And… How can we access it?
00:55:35.510 --> 00:55:47.399 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: In ways that really resonate for us, and improve our mental health and well-being, so that we can do the things in the world that we are meant to do.
00:55:48.490 --> 00:55:50.810 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I hope you have a great week.
00:55:51.070 --> 00:55:53.669 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: I look forward to meeting you back here.
00:55:53.870 --> 00:55:54.610 Shervon Laurice | The Expansion Room: Bye-bye.
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