Winter Depression: Living With Seasonal Sadness
Written by Cassandra Currado
The winter season comes with cold weather, shorter days and less sunlight, especially for those living in northern countries. With the third Monday of every January coined as ‘Blue Monday’; AKA the most depressing day of the year, you may be feeling particularly unhappy. If you find yourself feeling down in the ‘winter blues,’ this blog post will give you information on seasonal affective disorder and how you can cope with this seasonal sadness.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is considered to be a form of depression. SAD and depression have very similar symptoms. The main difference is that SAD will typically happen during the same season each year, whereas depression occurs all year round. The most common times people experience SAD are in the fall and winter months, to which they’ll notice improvements in their symptoms at the beginning of spring.
After the long, warm summer days many people begin to dread the cold, short days that come with the winter season. However SAD is far more distressing and overwhelming, as the symptoms interfere with one’s daily functioning at work, school and in their social relationships.
Common Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Sad and despairing mood that’s present majority of the day and lasts longer than 2 weeks
Changes in appetite and weight
Changes in sleep
Fatigue - even with too much sleep
Loss of usual interests (ex. hobbies, people, work)
Feeling worthless, hopeless, irritable, or having low self-esteem
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide
The Importance of Sunlight
The golden rays of sunshine do more than just brighten up your day or help with your summer tan. The sun is also an important contributor to our physical and mental health. As the winter season comes with less sunlight, the typical benefits we get from the sun are often impacted. Typically during the winter, people tend to spend more time indoors due to the discouraging cold weather and less hours of sunlight. This is especially true for those living far north and south of the equator, as these areas get extremely less sunlight in comparison to the rest of the year. Though too much sun is known to cause skin damage, researchers found that mild and indirect forms of sunlight help to improve your overall mood and mental health.
Now, how is that even possible? How is the sun capable of improving our mental health? Shockingly enough, sunlight exposure triggers the release of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a hormone that’s known to improve mood, learning, attention, memory and sleep. With that, it makes sense that during the winter months you may be feeling sad, experience changes in your sleeping patterns and have difficulty focusing. Though increased exposure to the sun can improve your mental health it’s important to be cautious and consider the use of SPF products to protect against sun damage.
“2-3% of Candians experience SAD at some point in their life, an additional 15% experience a milder form of SAD”
How to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder: Simple Ways to Boost Your Mood
SAD can be a very debilitating experience to manage. Though SAD symptoms typically improve on their own as the seasons change, there are things you can do to make the winter months more manageable. Below is a list of simple changes you can make to your daily routine to help support yourself through the winter months. These small changes can help boost your mood and complement any form of treatment you may want to consider.
1. Increase Exposure to The Sun
Incorporate Outdoor Activities in Your Routine → a daily walk outside during the daylight
Adjust Your Work and Home Environment → open your curtains and consider repositioning your desk towards a window
2. Physical Health
Regular Exercise → relieves stress and depression while increasing your energy levels and boosting your mood
Eating Healthy
Getting a Good Amount of Sleep
Drinking Enough Water → alcohol and caffeine can negatively impact sleep and mood
3. Emotional Health
Journaling Your Thoughts and Feelings → can help you manage and express your negative feelings
How to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder: Treatments
It’s important to recognize that in some cases the symptoms you’re experiencing are far too distressing to rely only on simple mood-boosters. Though a simple mood-booster can work wonders in improving your overall wellbeing, you may also want to consider other forms of treatment. SAD impacts many aspects of your life and can be difficult to manage alone, even if it only lasts a few months each year. Here are some other forms of treatment to consider to find the best support for yourself through the winter season:
1. Light Therapy
Light therapy involves sitting in front of a light therapy box for about 20 minutes per day. The light therapy box will emit a very bright light, while filtering out any harmful UV rays. Though light therapy can be done within your home, it’s found to be most effective within a clinical setting. With light therapy, patients typically report an improvement in their mood and energy levels within 1-2 weeks of starting treatment.
2. Counselling Services
Though light therapy has many benefits, it may not always be easily accessible. If that’s the case consider reaching out to a counselling service to gain additional support for your SAD symptoms. In general, counselling services can help you learn new ways to cope and can provide you with helpful skills to best manage your SAD symptoms. Specifically, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you through any negative thoughts you may be experiencing in relation to the feelings of hopelessness that comes with SAD. At The Relationship Agency we’re trained in CBT and here to provide you with the necessary care and compassion to ensure you’re best supported. Even if you’re just wanting someone to talk through your SAD symptoms and experiences with, our team of therapists will support you towards fulfilling the life you deserve.
