January blues? B.C. Doctor shares winter mental health tips

A Lower Mainland family physician who specializes in mental health says January can be a challenging time, as people transition out of the busy holiday season and re-establish their routines.

Dr. Shahana Alibhai is the medical lead at The Foundry in Abbotsford. She said whether people celebrate or not, many view Christmas, and New Year's as events to look forward to.

Once they're over, she said it can be difficult to adjust.

“You go from being so holiday-centric and focused, and now going, ‘I need to pick up the pieces to this thing called work again?,'” she said. “Restarting is always much harder than continuing.”

Alibhai, whose practice focuses on mental and emotional health, said the first piece of advice she gives, is not about exercise or diet, but about focusing on self compassion. She said it's important for people to reframe how they talk about themselves.

“You wouldn’t act like a drill sergeant to your friend,” she said. “Telling yourself it’s now and not forever, and realizing you’re not the only one.”

Natural light, minimizing screen time

For those growing tired of Metro Vancouver’s wet, dreary weather, the Abbotsford-based physician, recommends spending time outside in the morning, even if there’s cloud cover, to receive some natural light. She adds it could help regulate melatonin.

Another tip, Alibhai said, is to connect with others, even if it's through “micro-interactions,” which she said can offer positive mental health impacts.

“It could be as simple as talking to your neighbour and walking your dog,” said.

She adds when possible, making time to connect with friends and family in-person is ideal and cautions against extended periods of screen time.

“Ask yourself the questions before picking up your phone, 'Why now? What for? And what else could I be doing?'” she said.

'The bedrock of mental health'

Alibhai’s book, ‘Feel Better,’ dives into more strategies to help people prioritize their mental health, with an emphasis on emotional well-being.

“Emotional health is the bedrock of mental health,” she said. “Emotional health is the preventive lever that we can pull.”

She said these tips may appear to be small changes, but they all make a difference.

“Don’t let the idea of perfection become the enemy of actually executing what you want to execute,” Alibhai said.