How to Bust Through Winter Blues: Tips from a Top CBT Expert

Fact: Seasonal changes impact our mood. And unless you happen to enjoy the colder and shorter days, your mood is going to take a hit in the winter.  The good news? We can take action so we don’t slip into a dark place.

In this week’s episode we talk to a renowned Cognitive Behavioral Therapy expert, Dr. Simon Rego. Dr. Rego is the Chief of Psychology at Montefiore Medical Center and the author The 10-Step Depression Relief Workbook, which gives you active steps to ward off low mood. And as a native Canadian, and resident in the Northeast, Dr. Rego practices what he preaches. 

Want to learn how to enjoy activities even when it’s dark and frosty? This episode highlights:

• How to really pay attention to what boosts and lowers your mood,

• Why it’s important to cope ahead for what’s coming and find ways to work around winter obstacles

• How our predictions about winter may keep us stuck in unhelpful behaviors

• Why we shouldn’t fall victim to the myth of motivation

• How to break activities into small steps to make them seem more doable

Lastly, we talk about how better access to science-backed treatments is one silver lining about the pandemic. Caveat! It’s also led to a rise in misinformation. Dr. Rego talks about why vetting your mental health resources is one of the most important things you can do. 

Giving college students free and easy access to top mental health experts is one of the reasons we started this podcast. Dr. Rego is a warm, thoughtful goldmine of good information and we’re thrilled we get to share his ideas with you. 

 Resources:

Dr. Simon Rego’s book, The 10-Step Depression Relief Workbook 

https://www.amazon.com/10-Step-Depression-Relief-Workbook-Behavioral/dp/1939754364

American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Psychology

https://div12.org/psychological-treatments/