Womens Running: SAD Feature

This was quite the surprise! I had completely forgotten about giving a few words on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for this months edition of Womens Running UK so seeing one of our gorgeous Run Talk Run leaders, Eleanor, tag me in a post about it was a cheery moment.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am part-human, part-sunflower. I LIVE for the sunshine, and so does my brain, apparently.

As the temperatures start to drop, it seems there is a weight pulling my mood down with it. Even though I am a lot lot better at managing my “down days” there is absolutely no denying that I have to fight through an extra layer of fog, to feel ok.

Running isn’t gonna cure your shitty feelings. It’s not a miracle-worker.

Feeling down (or worse, depressed) is gonna take more than just a brisk run to feel better

BUT… though its not gonna cure you, it might make today feel just a little bit better.

I liken my own experience with depression to being like a knife, that really really cut deep and caused pain that I just don’t understand. Running was (and is) my means of “softening the edges” of that knife.

If you have a shitty day with an ushakeable fog (it happens) I really do urge you to head out for a walk or a run if you can. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a tough thing to pull through, but you are tougher, and the sun will shine again.