​Mild Depression and Vitamin D

​As I write this the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I feel as though I could be in a Disney movie. But then I remember the reality is quite different, it is more like being in some kind of doomsday Hollywood blockbuster, except there is no Bruce Willis racing to save the day.

At this point in time, as fear grows, we are more at risk of sinking into a depressive state than we are of a virus with a 1-2 percent fatality rate. So what can we do, to keep our immune systems strong and to lift our spirits high and stay sane in an insane world?
We can make sure that every day we get a minimum of 20 minutes of sunshine, onto our bare skin. Our bodies have the remarkable ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D, just 20 mins per day, more if you have dark skin, will convert to 20,000iu of usable Vitamin D in the body. We have Vitamin D receptors in our brain, that will respond accordingly to improve your mood, help stave off depression as well as Alzheimer’s. Albeit we may want to forget the past 18 months and imagine a world that once was. Vitamin D also helps your body make its own antibiotics and antivirals, so win/win.

Another thing we can do is exercise, get your body moving, walking, gardening, dancing, whatever you enjoy, but turn off Netflix and move. The body releases endorphins when we exercise and endorphins also keep feelings of depression at bay.
Avoid negative media, it’s only natural to watch the 1pm daily tally, but remember modern media is designed to be click bait, not true journalism. It’s designed to evoke a reaction, more often a negative one. Instead, pick up a good book, do a puzzle, draw, write, listen to music, bake and create, this will fill you with more joy than the latest shocking headline.
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And finally, take time to connect with family and friends, check in on those less fortunate than yourself, or those on their own. We are naturally village people, loneliness will take a person faster into depression than anything else. We are stronger as a whole, than in individual parts.
Kia Kaha, Stay Strong.