Meet Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Associate Professor, Dr. Daria Kuss.

Dr. Daris Kuss is a female thought leader, and has featured on the latest episode of the Re:search Reimagined podcast, looking at why the third Monday of January is said to be the most depressing day of the year, and what can be done to shake off the January blues. 

Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Speaking with podcast host Helen Derby-Dowman, Dr. Daria Kuss says: "Seasonal Affective Disorder is a condition that affects a number of people, especially during the winter months, where because of the limited daylight, because of it being dark and cold out there, people may feel a little bit more miserable. They may experience symptoms traditionally associated with depression, low mood, low energy, over eating, under eating, a lot of those sorts of things that many of us would have would experience during the winter months. Recent research has connected vitamin D to SES or the lack of vitamin D to seasonal affective disorder. Vitamin D is the sunshine hormone is produced by our bodies when we are exposed to sunlight. And given that in the wintertime, especially in this country, there is very limited sunlight and we often all of us are often really having limited amounts of vitamin D, So supplementation in the form of additional vitamin D taken as food supplements can be helpful."

Making achievable resolutions

When looking at ways in which to battle SAD, Dr. Daris Kuss explains: "Positive and achievable resolutions for the year ahead are certainly going to be very beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing, and those kinds of resolutions can be very fundamental resolutions. Connection with the world around you, with your social environment is one of the fundamental things. Making time in your diary to see your friends, to speak to family members, even though you might be tired, even though you've got too much work to do. I think this is one of the key things that we can do to make ourselves feel better. As humans, we need social connection. In addition to this, what will be very important as a resolution is to ensure that we make time for ourselves, that we take time out of our busy days to ensure that we can reconnect with ourselves, have some time for solitude, perhaps being able to reflect on your day, be able to reflect on your week, spend time with your partner, being able to reconnect with them as well, and reconnecting with your body as well. Being active, going for walks, going for a run, whatever you like to do. To be able to feel your body and to be able to really go back to the fundamentals, our social well-being, our physical wellbeing. And this will certainly improve our mental health and emotional wellbeing as well."

Dr. Daris Kuss also looks at ways to maintain the resolutions: "Top tips would be to make sure the resolutions are realistic, create tiny habits rather than large resolutions. Make sure that you've got somebody to hold you accountable for those resolutions and reward yourself for the small changes that you can implement in your behavior. So you're likely to engage in those changes again."

NTU's research makes a difference 

The Re:search Reimagined podcast invites some of NTU’s brightest minds to explore how their research helps to deepen the understanding of the world, from online addictions to transgender rights and sleep disorders.

The podcast discusses some of society’s most pressing challenges and uncovers some of the ways NTU’s research is making a difference. 

Extensive industry experience 

Dr Daria Kuss is a Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist, Associate Professor in Psychology, the Lead for the Cyberpsychology Research Group, and a member of the International Gaming Research Unit. She has developed the MSc Cyberpsychology. Her current teaching and research focus on Cyberpsychology, the Psychology of Internet and Technology Use, and Addictive Behaviours. She supervises PhD researchers and MSc Cyberpsychology students and acts as mentor for staff in the Psychology Department.

Listen to the podcast here.

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