As we head into the autumn season, so the days will become shorter and the nights longer. It can be a great time to snuggle down in front of a log fire, but, for some people, the transition can be a real struggle.
With the shorter days comes less sunlight which, some argue, means less Vitamin D and, as a result, less serotonin. Less serotonin means an increase in thelikelihood for a drop in someone’s mood. At the same time, the body may produce more melatonin, which means the person becomes more tired.
And, of course, the changes in day length can adversely affect our internal body clocks which, in turn, can impact a client’s mood state.
Whilst there might not be any definitive cause for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it is something which is not uncommon at this time of the year. SAD is a medical condition, diagnosed by the GP, and, as such, the NHS says a doctor may suggest a number ofpractical steps someone can take to help them (including a light box).
Practitioners can also provide help for people afflicted by this potentially debilitating condition. We understand the importance of keeping our stress bucket levels nice and low. After all, a low stress bucket means greater intellectual control and, as such, an increased ability to deal with these types of changes.
Helping the client to focus on those all-important positive aspects of their lives, however small they might be, can make all the difference for someone struggling with SAD.
Guiding them through the subsequent Miracle Question and relaxing trance state helps to cement positive changes and, as we know, allows for the strengthening of the left prefrontal cortex. All crucial factors in helping to counter the effects of SAD.
Perhaps talking about SAD could be a key focus for your marketing strategy over the next few months. The great thing about PR is that it doesn’t always require a huge investment. Social media can allow us to spread our message far and wide at the simple push of a button, with little or no costs involved. Building up followers on Twitter or Facebook is easy to do and the use of the ‘hashtag’ can really drive people towards reading a small post, or even a blog.
Blogs don’t have to be long. A short blog can be a few hundred words, a medium sized one is around 750 and a large blog is often 1500 words and above. Blogs are good for your website as it shows a constant change of content which, in turn, helps to boost your rankings with Google which, in turn, can help drive ‘traffic’ to your domain.
A simple tweet might provide hope and comfort to someone struggling with SAD or any other issues we can help with – from stopping smoking to gaining an increased sense of confidence when flying, public speaking or undertaking any type of big challenge.
A post consisting of a few lines really can make all the difference. And so, with that, I’m off to make a fresh pot of coffee, sit down and think about what I can tweet about!
