Beating the Winter Blues
Stay on your game during winter’s chill, and get help if depressive symptoms overwhelm
When days become shorter and the weather makes outdoor activities less appealing, many people feel their energy and motivation wane.
This is science: A lack of sunlight has an indisputable affect on the human mind and body, from production of vitamin D to maintaining the levels of certain hormones. For most people, pushing through this and keeping up with regular activities and health maintenance including exercise, proper diet and adequate sleep can help buffer those feelings.
“The average person can try really hard to stay in their routines,” says Dr. Kelly J. Rohan, a psychology professor at the University of Vermont, and a researcher of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Spending significant time outdoors can help because the sun and outdoor environment are natural antidepressants, she adds.
For those experiencing heavier symptoms, it is possible they may be suffering from SAD. There is no difference between clinical depression and SAD, other than the symptoms tend to be more severe or only become debilitating on a seasonal basis, Rohan says.
Rohan notes that although less daylight can trigger the increased number of SAD cases seen during winter, the condition can occur in any season, and she cautions against self-diagnosis. Depressive symptoms exist on a continuum, and most people experience at least some of them — if only mildly — she explains. “SAD would be the extreme end of the continuum,” she adds. In this state, the symptoms interfere with relationships and basic life functions such as attending school or working.
In addition to maintaining routines and activities, self-care can include a morning walk outside after the sun is up, Rohan says. Getting light to our retinas resets our circadian rhythm, the natural process that governs our sleep-wake cycles.
Light therapy is one treatment that can be prescribed at specific doses, that being the time spent under the lights and with what frequency. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to light therapy, 30 minutes is a good start.
If symptoms do become overwhelming and interfere with life functions or thoughts turn to self-harm or suicidal ideation, professional help should be sought.