You’re not alone if you feel a certain amount of apprehension every fall, knowing shorter days and cold temperatures are ahead. Everyone struggles with the winter blues when the nights are long and cold temperatures sap your motivation to socialize, exercise, and get out of the house in general. But if your winter blues more often than not become depression, you may suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Those who have this form of depression experience symptoms at the same time every year. Most commonly during the winter, although some people do experience SAD in the summer months. About 2 percent of the population has SAD, with a more mild form of seasonal depression affecting 20 percent of people. Common symptoms of SAD include:
- Lack of interest in usual hobbies and activities.
- A shift in mood towards sadness, guilt, and self-deprecation.
- Overwhelming tiredness and inability to engage with life.
- Avoidance of loved ones and friends.
Because it’s so closely connected to the shift in daylight and temperature with winter, it’s more common at latitudes further from the equator, but people experience seasonal depression worldwide.
Try these methods to cope with seasonal depression.
#1. “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes.”
The Norwegians coined this popular phrase, and it’s no wonder–in the wintertime, Norway gets just six hours of daylight. The saying scolds you a bit if you’re inclined to stay indoors when it’s cold and raining or snowing. Getting outside to exercise, even in poor weather, can help you cope with SAD.
No one enjoys being cold, but investing in warm winter clothing and accessory will make it easier to get outside for a daily walk.
#2. Invest in a light therapy box.
A lightbox provides a bright light that imitates spring and summer sunlight. People with SAD who spend several hours a day in the morning and afternoon next to their lightbox may find that their symptoms lessen. Some lightboxes provide dawn-simulators, so you slowly wake up in “daylight” instead of the dark. Light therapy is a relatively safe treatment. It has few side effects, so if you’re uncertain about medication or more robust treatment, it’s an excellent place to start.
#3. Eat healthily and increase vitamin D intake.
The science behind taking vitamin D supplements is still inconclusive, and you should speak with your doctor before incorporating any supplement into your healthcare regimen. A safe way to increase your vitamin D intake is to add a few vitamin D-heavy foods to your diet:
- Oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
- Egg yolks
- Fortified foods like cereal, milk, soy milk, and orange juice.
Even though we all crave rich, sugar-heavy foods in the winter and around the holidays, a healthy diet with fresh produce can improve your overall mood.
#4. Take part in talk therapy.
For severe forms of SAD, engaging in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help lessen the most impactful symptoms. A skilled therapist can teach you to interrupt negative thought cycles and mitigate the most disruptive aspects of depression. CBT is low risk, without side effects. It’s the ideal starting point if you’re unsure about taking antidepressants.
#5. Practice daily stress-relief methods.
When you feel low or depressed, it’s tempting to ignore feelings of stress. But those feelings can snowball into feeling overwhelmed by life and losing interest in your hobbies and relationships. If you experience SAD, practicing daily stress-relief methods that work for you is a great way to minimize the effects depression has on your life during the winter.
Try meditation, yoga, treat yourself to regular massages, and reach out to talk with friends and family.
Find strategies that work for you and keep them up all winter.
No one experiences SAD in the same way, and not all coping methods have the same efficacy for everyone. When you find a strategy or combination of techniques that help your depression, make them part of your weekly routine, you may find they help improve your mood all year.
