Seeking solutions for SAD
During the holiday season, everything is supposed to be merry and bright. People are busy shopping , joyful music of the season is playing everywhere, homes are decked out from stem to stern. It’s the most wonderful time of year, as the song tells us.
But not everyone looks happy. Some people look downright grumpy and impatient. Is it because they are rushed and unprepared, or is it something else? In spite of all the decorations, joyful music, baking and other things we do to make a perfect experience for our families, there is an unseen enemy. I call it a joy robber.
In the dead of winter, when darkness comes early and the entire world is grey, there is a feeling that comes upon many people. It creeps into their lives like the monsters of childhood. The feeling starts out as tiredness, a lack of motivation, disinterest in favourite things and then moves on to cravings for carbs, such as bread, pasta and sweets. As the days get shorter and the sun becomes elusive, some people start to feel negative and depressed. I know because I am one of the many who are affected around this time every year by
SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
Even though we look forward to special occasions, there is that pervasive sadness along with a sense of dread, although there is nothing terribly wrong in our lives. Past experience has taught me that if I don’t get proactive, this SAD will just spiral out of control. Although the winter has just barely started, so far it has been brutal, with major storms and school closures already, and it’s only mid-december.
The experts are not sure what causes seasonal affective disorder, but they all agree it may come from shorter days and a lack of sunlight at this time of year and the resulting lack of vitamin D. The solution is usually light therapy and I would add to that a healthy diet, some form of exercise, meeting with friends and getting outside every day, no matter the weather.
A few years ago, I was doing an 84-day No Negativity Challenge on my blog. Every day, I wrote about positive things, like being grateful, keeping your word and being happy in general. I was doing great at getting the negativity out until mid-december, when winter set in.
I started to be depressive and negative to the point that my husband said, “Here you are doing a no negativity challenge and you’re being more negative than before you started. And you’re intolerant as well.” It was true. I lamented my imaginary lack of friends and stood looking out the living room window contemplating the greyness of my world.
Initially, the negative thoughts just kept coming, to the point that I didn’t even like being with myself. As I thought about it, I realized there was nothing specific that was bothering me; it was a general grumpiness, sense of foreboding and sadness. Thinking back, I realized I had been like this every year around the same time. So, we finally bought a light therapy lamp and it was a game changer.
They are expensive, but worth every penny. I sit in its glow every morning for about a half-hour and over time, I start to feel better, more joyful, if you will. I have also joined a Facebook support group for people suffering from SAD, as it helps to discuss issues and possible solutions. Do you lose your joy at this time of year? Is SAD your joy robber? How are you going to deal with it?