Don’t Let the Winter Time Blues Get You Down

By Korea Jim

As Christmas quickly approaches, most ESL teachers will have more time off or leave for vacations. Being outside of one’s native country and apart from one’s family can be difficult during the holiday season. Having few friends, and often friends of different backgrounds and interests, can also be difficult. You may or may not be clinically depressed or have a disorder, but being isolated for a long time and suffering the affects of cabin fever can have some serious impact on your mental health. True clinical depression should be diagnosed and treated by a physician or psychologist but here are some simple signs to be aware of:

• A persistently sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
• Loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or conversely overeating and weight gain
• Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
• Restlessness or irritability
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies
• Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down" or sluggish
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depression

If you or anyone you know continue with these symptoms, seek professional advice. I would recommend seeking an outside opinion, preferably from your native country. Privacy issues in some countries, like Korea, reveal your diagnosis to your employer and this may adverse consequences for your employment.

Don’t let the wintertime blues get you down! First, get some sun. If you can’t travel to a warmer place, perhaps get some time under a tanning light. Don’t let sunny days waist away, do some hiking or skiing if available. Second, turn off your TV, computer and set down your book. Get some exercise, join a gym, play basketball, even play with your students if you can, or if your school has a gymnasium use it by trying to organize sports events with other teachers. Third, socialize. Don’t just go out to drink with your comrades, do something together. Go shopping, see some local museums, or just play some cards or Monopoly. Fourth, pickup a hobby. In my experience a lot of ESL teachers drop a lot of the contacts they have from home, even dropping hobbies. This only leads to picking up bad habits and not pursuing interests. Perhaps, make a model, go out and collect stamps for your nephews, check out comics in your host country even if they are not your language or even start a blog.

There is a name for the Wintertime Blues, SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Remember, you may not be seriously “depressed” but because of your particular situation, your feelings may be intensified. Stay active and get off the TV!

For further information please resort to the following websites
http://www.depression.com/
http://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm