Turning Earlier Nights Into Better Days: What is Seasonal Depression and How to Deal With It
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As days are shorter and the nights get longer, some people not only see a change in the weather, but also their mood. Millions of people everywhere are affected by the ‘winter blues’ but it's more than just being tired in the wintertime. Seasonal depression is real, for everyone of all ages, and it isn’t always the most exciting thing to look forward to.
Seasonal depression is medically referred to as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and defined by WebMD as “a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons.” It is possible that seasonal depression can occur in the summer/spring seasons, but the lack of sunlight is typically what causes your body to be affected, so it’s more common in the winter. The lack of sunlight makes the chemical in your body that regulates and causes sleep to be disrupted and the chemical that affects your mood is also affected, making it hard to feel energized and positive throughout the season. Symptoms of SAD are decreased energy, changes in sleep or appetite, social withdrawal, feelings of pessimism, etc.
SAD or depression in general aren’t easy to deal with, so here are some tips to improve your days this winter season.
1. Practice Mindfulness
Without a lot of sunlight or warm weather, it's hard to want to be outside and endure the possibly extreme conditions. Mindfulness is something you can do anywhere. Looking up a five minute yoga, meditation, or stretching video and following along with the instructor can help to reset your mind. It's proven that practicing mindfulness reduces stress and improves emotional regulation (What to Know About Mindfulness and Mental Health).
2. Get Some Vitamin D
As much as doing things inside can help, so can outdoor activities. Things as simple as going on a quick walk or run can improve your mood and energy. The Minnesota Department of Mental Health says that 10 to 20 minutes in nature can prevent stress,and reduces anxiety. Vitamin D supplements are also proven to be helpful in improving moods and reducing depression symptoms (Your Guide to Vitamin D Benefits). Vitamin D supplements can be bought over the counter and when used for good reason, significantly improve the depressive symptoms of SAD.
3. Create a Routine
A routine creates consistency and regulation in your life, which is important during the start of the wintertime to combat against all the constant change that comes in the fall to winter months. There’s less sunlight, colder temperatures, change in wardrobe (for most), etc. All of these things can seem like a major shift in what you and your body may be used to and creating a routine establishes balance. A routine could be simple things like making sure to make your bed first thing in the morning, making a new skincare routine, journaling every night, or things like finding a time to drink water or meal prep. There’s articles upon articles on how-to’s or where to start when creating a routine that can be reached via a short Google search.
4. Eat Healthy
More often than not eating healthy is looked at as boring, bland, unseasoned, or insanely restrictive on foods or drinks that you can intake. But there’s more to it than just eating the same things every day for all three meals. It’s important to eat healthy all year round, and even more crucial when the weather makes it feel like doordashing fast food would be easier than getting groceries to cook. Your favorite foods that may be unhealthy can be substituted for healthy and still tasty alternatives. Just like all the other tips, finding healthy food alternatives is just a Google search away. An article published by Healthline magazine talks about food to eat when you get unhealthy food cravings. These foods include Greek yogurt, dark chocolate, fruit or dried fruit, vegetable chips, cottage cheese, etc. It might not be easy at first, but it’s never too late to start healthy eating habits.
5. Stay Social
Socializing is important for a plethora of reasons, and when it’s cold out, the want to visit or see others may be nearly nonexistent. But it’s very important that you are able to engage with others. Spending time with family and friends can improve your mood and energy levels. You can do things like go out to eat, go to Christmas markets, go to a movie, bake together, go ice skating and so much more.
During the wintertime, your mood and daily activities can feel unfulfilling or just slow and that’s okay. But the cold won’t freeze up all the light in your life, so try your best to stay optimistic and try these tips to see what works for you.
