As a highly sensitive person, I have to be aware of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Each winter, 500,000 people in the United States are said to become depressed and suffer from seasonal affective disorder or SAD, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. The cause of this disorder is the decrease in the amount of available daytime light, an amount that drops from the long days of summer months.

It’s not the lack of light that causes a drop in mood specifically, it’s how that drop in light causes reactions in the body. Research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that lack of light can do one of three things in the body to cause depression. (more…)

If you want to “spring forward” this season, here are some tips for highly sensitive people, introverts, and those with social anxiety to help renew your spirit: (more…)

Do you believe in alternative healing practices? I do. I have personally benefited from acupuncture, chiropractic, hydrotheraphy treatment , and massage therapy.

Here are some alternative and complimentary healing practices for you to consider:

• Acupressure:  Practitioners use their hands, elbows or feet to apply pressure to points along the body’s “meridians.” Meridians are channels that carry life energy (qi or chi) throughout the body. This reasoning holds that illness can occur when a meridian is blocked or out of balance. Acupressure is thought to relieve blockages, so energy can flow freely again, restoring wellness. More research is needed, but some pilot studies have found positive results: Acupressure might decrease nausea for chemotherapy patients and reduce anxiety in people scheduled to have surgery. (more…)