How To Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder in Your Real Estate Home Office

The days are now getting quite short and with the sun setting earlier each evening, you may find that you’ve lost some of the pep in your step this time of year.

It’s not just you.

Many people struggle with seasonal affective disorder (or SAD), which is a type of depression felt from the fall to the early spring or summer.

Having low energy, oversleeping, feeling depressed and having difficulty concentrating are all symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. As a REALTOR®, these symptoms can hurt your business.

So, let’s cover exactly how you can combat seasonal affective disorder in your home office.

Shift Your Work Hours to Make Full Use of the Sunshine

The reduced hours of sunlight in the fall and winter affect your circadian rhythm, which may lead to the depression felt in seasonal affective disorder.

While we can’t change how much sunlight we get during the day, we can adjust our work hours to make the most of the bright light.

If you are typically a night owl, working away in your home office in the evening, you may benefit from getting down to work earlier in the day while the sun is still shining. By sleeping through the daylight, you could be making your symptoms worse.

So open up the blinds in your office, grab a cup of coffee to get going, and as they say: make hay while the sun shines.

Use a Happy Light to Minimize Seasonal Affective Disorder

Not every day is going to be full of sunshine, but to simulate the same effects, there are many makes and models of light therapy lamps that you can purchase.

The bright, white LED bulbs used in the lamps make your body think it’s experiencing sunlight at high noon, helping to minimize the effects of seasonal affective disorder.

If sitting in front of a light in your home office helps you to feel even a tiny bit more energetic, it’s not only great for your mental health, but you’ll also be more productive in your real estate business.

Take Movement Breaks from Your Home Office

As little as 30 minutes of movement a day can combat the depression felt from seasonal affective disorder. In addition, people who exercise regularly had lower rates of recurrent depression.

The beauty of working from your home office is that you can decide when to take breaks and when you prefer to exercise. Consider taking short breaks throughout your work day to better manage the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.

Exercise doesn’t mean getting to the gym every day. Sometimes you just don’t have the time in your schedule. Instead you could:

• Take two 15-minute walks with your dog
• Every time you get up from your desk, do 10 squats and 10 lunges
• Stretch or use your favourite yoga poses once an hour

Remember, you are your business. So taking care of yourself and your health is essential.

Have you ever felt the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?

Last Updated on June 27, 2024 by myRealPage