SAD this winter? Could be a good reason
As the weather gets colder, wetter, and darker, it’s easy to joke about the ‘‘winter blues’’ hitting you for six. But for many people, this cutesy term is actually much more serious.
Seasonal affective disorder (or the aptly-named SAD) is a form of depression that’s related to the reduction of daylight hours in winter. For some SAD is mild, but for others it can be debilitating. SAD is more likely to occur in countries where the sun goes down for the day in the middle of the afternoon, but it can still be a major problem here in New Zealand.
Like with depression, the symptoms of SAD can vary. You might feel persistently low or sad. You might lose interest in activities you usually like. You might become more irritable, or you might find it hard to sleep. You might experience a change in appetite, or you might feel like you have no energy. You might find it hard to concentrate. Because you feel so down, you might withdraw from friends and family or from doing things you normally love doing.
The difference between SAD
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and depression is that SAD symptoms will appear towards the end of autumn and continue until the days get longer and sunnier in spring, whereas depression isn’t seasonal.
If you’re feeling SAD, what can you do? First things first: book an appointment with your doctor. Their treatment might be as simple as getting outside more everyday, or they could recommend light therapy which involves sitting in front of special light boxes with emit much more light than your average house light. Going to therapy or counselling can help, while some doctors might even prescribe antidepressants for the winter months.
Other complementary or lifestyle therapies could improve your overall wellbeing too, like regular exercise, eating well, yoga, meditation, relaxation, and massage. Asking loved ones to keep reaching out through the winter months even if you aren’t particularly enthusiastic about it is a good way to keep your friends and family in the loop too.
Feeling connected with your community may help lift your spirits. Going for a walk around your neighbourhood every day, saying ‘‘hi’’ to people as you pass, even stopping to give a friendly dog a good scratch behind the ears could be enough to help create some mental space during the day. Booking a holiday or weekend away for when the weather gets warmer will give you something nice to look forward to too.
Feeling down during winter isn’t uncommon, but feeling particularly SAD could require a bit of intervention.
Be kind to yourself. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
And don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor or a trusted friend for help. Remember, winter always comes to an end eventually.