Nature's Secret to Avoiding Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD/WSAD)

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey Wellness Warriors, Antoinette Lee here,

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See you inside the book and onthe next episode.
What if the key to avoidingwintertime blues or seasonal
affective disorder, sad, isspending more time outdoors
during winter.
Two concepts that researchersagree on are getting outside to
enjoy winter activities andhaving a positive mindset toward
the winter season are keys toescaping depression in winter.

(01:46):
In this solo episode that I'mdropping as a three-part series,
I'll break down the data andshow you how to incorporate
three of my favorite winteractivities.
Winter hiking, cross-countryskiing and ski juring, and ice
fishing into your winter sadprevention strategy and have
more fun in winter than youcould have imagined.
Hi friends, welcome to the NewNormal Big Life Podcast.

(02:08):
We bring you natural news andstories about nature that we
hope will inspire you to getoutside and adventure, along
with a step-by-step plan to helpyou practice what you've learned
and create your own new normaland live the biggest life you
can dream.
I'm your host, Antoinette Lee,the Wellness Warrior.
Before we get into today'sepisode, I want to thank our
listeners for financiallysupporting the podcast and for

(02:31):
the wonderful text messages andrecent reviews from Kathleen,
Joey, and Tina.
We here at New Normal Big Lifeappreciate the time you spend
listening and sharing the showwith the people you love most.
And we'd love to hear from youtoo.
Join me on my X Space because ifI can find friends and listeners
on this challenging platform, Ican make it happen anywhere.

(02:53):
My friends and I would love tohear what's on your mind, so
join us for my coffee in thecabin X Space every Wednesday at
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Central, 8 Pacific, 9 Mountain,and 11 Eastern Time.
Drop your questions, vent,laugh, or hang out and listen.
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Feel free to agree to disagree,just real talk.

(03:13):
I hope to see you there.
Now back to our discussion onnature's secret to avoiding
seasonal affective disorder.
Anyone at any age can experiencesad, but it generally starts
between ages 18 and 30.
Common symptoms of seasonalaffective disorder or sad,
winter sad if you're in Europe,include feeling sad or
depressed, loss of interest inthings you previously enjoyed,

(03:37):
an increased or decreasedappetite, fatigue, an inability
to sit still, difficulty withconcentration and decision
making, feeling worthless, andin extreme cases, thoughts of
ending your life, according tothe American Psychiatric
Association.
Here is what the researchersknow about preventing SAD.

(03:58):
Two concepts are getting outsidean adventure during winter and
having a positive mindsettowards the winter season.
One of the lifestyle measuresrecommended by the NHS for
England recommends outdoorrecreation as one of the most
effective ways to prevent andtreat SAD.
No matter the weather, I getoutside an adventure daily.

(04:20):
One of the easiest and low-costways is taking a daily winter
walk, especially during daylighthours.
But I often go for a moonlitnighttime hike to enjoy nature
in a whole new light.
The forest and its animalsbehave differently and the
sounds are different at night.
My dog Phoebe loves it too.
Walking at night with or withouta headlamp, alone or with my dog

(04:42):
or as a family has helped me tobe very comfortable in the dark.
Try nighttime winter hikes witha kiddo who worries about the
dark at bedtime.
We took kids at Adventure Campon nighttime walks and
activities.
When they return home, parentsrave that their child was no
longer afraid of the dark.
Learning a winter sport that youcan enjoy alone with your dog,

(05:05):
with family, or as a clubexperience allows you to enjoy
winter as much as the warmermonths.
It also helps you to buildresilience against the cold.
In addition, according to thecompendium of physical
activities, a 150-poundcross-country skier will burn
about 1,000 calories by movingat 8 miles per hour or faster.

(05:27):
It takes surprising littleeffort to get up to this speed
on skis.
Here's what the experts knowabout the benefits of outdoor
recreation.
In his book Digital Madness,Nicholas Carderas' PhD said,
quote, we're just not meant tobe sedentary screen steering and
meaning-devoid creatures.
Psychologists have known fordecades that the most beneficial

(05:47):
non-pharmaceuticalantidepressant is physical
activity.
End quote.
Carderas and other mental healthresearchers advises getting
outside for physical activitywith other people, which is an
essential tool in your mentalhealth toolbox, especially
during winter.
So here's a brief history of skidrawing before I teach you how
to get started in the sport.

(06:08):
Stay until the end, even if youdon't plan to take up
cross-country skiing or skijuring.
This topic will make you thesmartest person in the room when
someone brings up the subject ofhaving the winter blues.
Around 1200 years ago,domesticated dogs began pulling
gear and people for hunters,trappers, and Arctic explorers
across frozen ground and bodiesof frozen water in Greenland,

(06:31):
Alaska, in the United States,Canada, and Siberia, a vast
region of Russia and northernKazakhstan.
The practice known as dogmushing usually includes three
to twenty dogs pulling a sleddriven by a driver.
Today, in nearly every countrywhere snow can be found, people
combine the principles ofcross-country skiing and dog

(06:53):
mushing in a hybrid sport calledski juring, especially along the
Arctic coast and Scandinavia,the birthplace of skiing.
Some adventurous people also skijur with a horse instead of a
dog.
Before I teach you how to getstarted ski juring, I want to
introduce you to the adventuresports lifestyle with what I
call a micro story about anadventure that I've had.

(07:15):
The adventure sports lifestyleand my deep connection to nature
is essential to my good health.
So here's the story.
It was a Friday night, one dayafter a full moon.
The forest was dark with onepatch of moonlight shining
through the canopy and what Icall my enchanted forest.
The light through the treesseemed to call out to my dog
Phoebe.

(07:36):
I had no headlamp, but Phoebewouldn't wait.
She looked at me in her let's gostance.
Then noting the look ofagreement on my face, we set off
on an adventure.
We ran through two feet of snowthat was still falling like a
cold wet blanket, only slowingafter we entered the forest
path.
Phoebe proceeded with cautionnot to startle a creature of the

(07:57):
forest.
Bears, badgers, deer, squirrels,fox, and even a Canadian lynx
that calls our forest home couldbe settling in for the night.
Matt stood overwatch about aquarter mile away, hovering over
a hot grill as he cleaned itafter dinner.
Yes, we grill in winter.
It keeps us outside adventuringyear-round.

(08:19):
Our moonlit hike was peacefuland just what I needed to end a
long work week.
That is, until Phoebe and Iheard the antlers of a large
buck that we couldn't see clankagainst a tree.
Phoebe sprinted toward the houseas if saying, I don't have to
outrun that large animal, mom.
I just need to outrun you.
Matt laughed as he watched hislady sprint through the snow

(08:41):
back toward the light and safetyof our cabin, and so did I.
I did that.
I hope this inspires you to getoutside an adventure alone with
friends or the people you lovemost.
Quick heads up wellnesswarriors.
I don't let just anyone intothis mic time.
The only sponsors I ever bringon are products that I plan to
use, personally use, swear by,and that have legitimately moved

(09:05):
the needle on my health and myfamilies.
No fluff, no fillers, no junk.
So if you're serious aboutleveling up your energy, sleep,
recovery, skin, whatever yourgoal is, do not bounce early.
Stay to the very end of thisepisode.
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(09:28):
These aren't random ads, they'retools I stake my name on.
You'll thank me later.
Keep it locked.
We're going all the way to thefinish line together.
So here's how to get started skijuring.
Getting started with ski juringis simpler than you might think.
All you need is a desire to beoutdoors in winter, a dog of any
size and breed that loves to runand pull, and a few gear items

(09:52):
for yourself and your dog.
Be warned, if your dog does nothave a natural instinct to pull,
they may not be the best skijuring partner.
Pulling is hard work, and somedogs, just like people, don't
enjoy being cold, occasionallywet, or physically demanding
work like pulling.
Fortunately, my American dingomix Phoebe loves running,

(10:12):
pulling, snow, and adventureswith me.
She's 45 pounds and in love withrunning in the snow.
Unfortunately, at 15 years old,she can run and play in the
snow, but not for long periods.
So now Matt is my new favoritecross-country partner.
Even if I low key forced himinto the sport by buying him

(10:33):
skis, poles, and boots forChristmas last year.
So here's what you'll need forski drawing.
It's your ski drawingessentials.
First, we start with training.
To start ski drawing, begin witha dog with basic obedience
skills like sit down, stay,calm, and stop.
Reading a couple of books onbasic dog training, dog
psychology, and behavior wouldbenefit anyone, even if you are

(10:56):
an experienced dog owner.
From there, you can easily trainyour dog to respond to the
commands used in ski juring.
Ski jaw with your dog, secondedition by Marie Ho Raito and
Carol Kaynor is an excellentresource on teaching your dog
how to pull and teachingyourself how to work with your
dog as a ski juring team.

(11:17):
According to Ho Raito and Kaner,there are seven essential dog
driving commands that you willneed to teach your dog.
Gee, turn right, ha, turn left,ahead, straight ahead, or on by
to have your dog continuestraight, ignore distractions,
or go past a turn.
Line out to keep the tug linetight.

(11:38):
Whoa, to stop, get up or hike tospeed up, and easy to slow down.
Next, you must gain confidenceand competency as a
cross-country skier beforetethering yourself to your dog.
Practice cross-country skiingalone first, paying careful
attention to learn how tonavigate easy downhill maneuvers

(11:58):
because not all cross-countryski trails are flat.
Master turning right and leftwhile in motion and stopping,
creating that pizza wedge withyour skis, or using a hockey
stop to stop yourself areimportant to master before
adding your dog to the setup.
Don't worry, you don't have toremember all of this because you
can go to nnbl.blog, sign up forour newsletter, and every week

(12:23):
you will have access to all ofour downloadable step-by-step
plans to help you create yournew normal and live the biggest
life you can dream.
Next, you'll need an X-Backstyled harness and winter dog
booties, especially if your dogwill spend more than one hour
outdoors in winter.
When outfitting the skier inthis team, begin talking with a

(12:45):
knowledgeable person at yourlocal sporting goods store or
someone within your ski drawingcommunity about ski selection.
The type of skiing you plan todo most often, backcountry
touring, short trips, or racing,and the kinds of trails you will
ski most often, groomed,ungroomed, icy, flat, hilly,
wide, or narrow, will impactyour ski choice significantly.

(13:08):
And your skiing style willdetermine the ski pole length.
Ski jurors need boots that aremore insulated than traditional
cross-country skiers, and theboots must be compatible with
your ski binding system.
Buying a ski package like I didfor Matt that includes boots,
ski poles, and skis is aneconomical way for beginners to

(13:29):
get started.
Ski packages range from about$350 in the US.
You will need a ski juring beltwith a quick release snap and a
toe line that connects from yourbelt to your dog's harness.
A warm hat, gloves, an insulatedand water-resistant jacket, and
warm leggings are recommended.
Be sure to dress in layers.

(13:50):
You can easily add, subtract,and still away on your waist or
in a small backpack.
If you are slightly cold whenyou begin ski drawing, hiking,
or cross-country skiing, youhave the right number of layers
to avoid overheating and excesssweating when you begin moving.
So where can you learn skijrawing?
There are four practical ways tolearn to ski drawer.

(14:13):
You can learn from friends orfamily, or join a ski juring
club in your local area.
Learn to ski draw through onlinevideos on YouTube, hire a
cross-country skiing instructor,or learn how to ski drawer from
books.
I learned how to cross-countryski when I was in the army.
I forgot a lot and I had toreteach myself, and now I'm

(14:33):
relearning downhill skiing.
In summary, hope and a solutionexists for those struggling with
the winter blues.
Setting a goal to learn how toski drawer, taking the time and
effort to learn, and gettingoutside for an adventure could
be just the solution to yourwinter sadness.
In the next installment of thisepisode, you'll learn the
history of ice fishing and howto get started in the sport.

(14:57):
All right, wellness warriors.
This is Antoinette Lee, yourride or die host, signing off
for now, but I'm not letting youdisappear on me.
Every Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Central, I'm pouring virtualcoffee in the cabin on X Spaces,
formerly Twitter, and I'm savinga seat just for you.
We laugh, we argue, we unpackthe latest episode, and we

(15:18):
tackle whatever fire is burningin your world right now.
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Join us at 10 a.m.
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Don't keep me waiting.
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