Tackling Seasonal Affective Disorder
By Erinn Williams, LCPC
It’s cold. The days are getting shorter and it’s dark by 4pm. For some, this provides a great opportunity to spend quality time focusing on themselves. For others, it can provide opportunities to spend quality time with loved ones like watching movies together on the couch, cooking a family meal or even exploring the seasonal changes outdoors (snowball fight!).
But, for those that suffer from SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, it’s quite the opposite. You might lose interest in the activities that you used to enjoy or distance yourself from friends and family. You might feel sad, have a hard time focusing or experience fatigue that can limit your motivation, resulting in sleep and eating issues. Just remember, there is nothing wrong with any of this and you are not alone.
WINTER BLUES VS SADNESS
Many of us have experienced the winter blues. In fact, it's often connected to a specific occurrence like the stress of the holidays. The good thing? The winter blues usually go away quickly on their own. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a clinical diagnosis that is related to the shortening of daylight hours and changes in the seasons. It begins and ends at the same time each year.
For most people, symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months - for others, SAD can be the root of depression in the spring or early summer, improving by the time fall or winter rolls around.
Unfortunately, we can’t wave a magic wand and change the seasons, but there are strategies to lessen the severity of the symptoms associated with SAD and the winter blues.
LIGHT AND SEASONAL DEPRESSION
Shorter days are a trigger for SAD. With fall comes beautiful changes in the leaves and winter often brings about peaceful, white blankets of snow.
However, reduced sunlight in fall and winter can mess with your body’s internal clock. Your 24-hour clock responds to your surroundings, including the light and dark around you. During the day, your brain sends signals to help keep you awake. At night, your brain produces melatonin, which helps you sleep. When daylight is shorter, it can alter your body’s natural rhythm resulting in SAD.
In winter, try getting outside! It’s cold, yes, but the sunlight helps balance serotonin activity, increases vitamin D levels, balances your circadian rhythm and more - helping lead to an improved emotional state! Stuck in the office or at home? Try sitting by a sunny window for a couple of hours a day.
Sitting in front of a light box daily is another common form of treatment for people with SAD. Studies show that light therapy can relieve SAD symptoms for as much as 70% of patients after a couple of weeks!
GET MOVING!
Physical activity can boost your mood, decrease symptoms of depression and reduce stress. It’s a great, natural, way to fight the imbalance of brain neurotransmitters that can lead to depression. Try finding something that you enjoy! It doesn’t even have to be a trip to the gym, but walking, dancing or playing with your kids can all be great forms of exercise.
EAT YOUR VEGGIES
Food makes us feel good! Besides being delicious, it nourishes the body and can influence your appetite and overall mood. Green, leafy veggies (think spinach, collard greens) and fatty fish high in B12 and omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve mood and decrease symptoms of SAD. Limiting processed foods can also help reduce inflammation within our bodies, which can lead to depression.
YOU ARE LOVED
Connecting with loved ones can also help tackle seasonal depression. In person, ZOOM, phone calls, you name it! Try to keep in touch with friends and family even if you want to hunker down by yourself. Your social circle and participating in regular activities can provide a human connection that is so important to your overall mental health. Remember the saying, laughter is the best medicine? It’s true!
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT can help individuals with SAD by finding and uprooting negative thought patterns. At ELC, we use this type of talk therapy with our clients to help uncover engaging activities that were once enjoyable and work them into your daily schedule. In time, this can lead to reduced anxiety and a more positive viewpoint on the season(s).
YOU GOT THIS
It can be a struggle to overcome SAD on your own. Just remember, there are ways to combat seasonal depression!