A lot of people during the winter suffer from what has been coined as “seasonal depression”. John Hopkins Medicine labels this disorder as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and defines it as “a type of depression….[where] shorter days and less daylight may set off a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression.” In Canada, we are notorious for our dark, long winters, and according to the Canadian Psychological Association, “it is estimated that SAD makes up 10% of all reported cases of depression. Approximately 15% of Canadians will report at least a mild case of SAD in their lifetime, while 2-3% will report serious cases.”
For a lot of people, sunshine and being outdoors equates to personal happiness, and I get how hard it is to be optimistic when you're cold and tired. It’s so funny, because as I’m writing this blog, I am student teaching, and we have a saying we relay to our grade 2 students, and that is “dry and warm kids are happy kids,” and it couldn’t be truer.
Before I go into how to combat or alleviate SAD, I want to explain what would be considered SAD to begin with. SAD is most common among women above 20 years old, but anybody of any age could suffer from seasonal depression. Melatonin, a sleep related hormone, is produced more when it’s dark. That’s why when we turn off the lights to go to bed, it’s a signal for our brains to produce melatonin for us to go to sleep. That's why late night screentime is really bad for your brain, because it gets confused. Your body is tired, but it’s still being stimulated, and melatonin isn’t being produced which can cause a long-term problem that can lead to bigger problems such as insomnia. We need regular sleep to maintain our body’s circadian rhythm, which will maintain our overall health. Though, SAD doesn’t only happen closer and during winter, it can also happen during the spring. When it does, it’s called “summer depression”, but it’s much less common than the “winter depression” we so commonly hear about. Moving to the symptoms of SAD, here are the following indicators: Increased sleep and daytime drowsiness, loss of interest and pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed, social withdrawal and increased sensitivity to rejection, grouchiness and anxiety. feelings of guilt and hopelessness, excessive tiredness (fatigue), decreased ability to focus, trouble thinking clearly, increased appetite, especially for sweets and carbohydrates, weight gain, and lastly, physical problems, such as headaches. So if you find yourself experiencing most of these symptoms you are likely to be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Let’s talk about what to do about it, and to keep our spirits up during the dark winter months. There are numerous ways to alleviate and combat SAD, and here are a few that are discussed by John Hopkins Medicine:
Exposure to sunlight
Spending time outside or near a window will help, even if it isn’t that green outside. Sunlight is so beneficial for the human body, and helps produce a very important vitamin, Vitamin D. Also, remember to still use UV protection during the winter, because the sun does not disappear, it’s there even if it’s cloudy. With all the snow we experience in Canada, it acts as a great reflector of sunlight right into our eyes and skin, so it’s still important to use sunscreen and other UV protection methods.
Light therapy
There are places where the sun is always hiding behind clouds, and if that is the case, light therapy is a great alternative. Exposure to a certain type of light for a certain amount of time each day will help. Talk to your healthcare provider for light therapy options in your area.
Psychotherapy
Therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT), offers the tools to reframe negative self-perceptions and transform distorted views of your environment. By doing so, you will enhance your interpersonal relationships and gain essential skills for identifying and effectively managing stress.
Antidepressants
Prescription medications can help regulate the underlying chemical imbalances often associated with SAD. Again, talk to your healthcare provider if you would like to explore this option.
Self-care
To help ease symptoms of depression, focus on a blend of self-care and supportive action. If you think you are depressed, the first step is to seek help from a healthcare provider as soon as possible. During recovery, set realistic goals by breaking large tasks into smaller, prioritized steps, and be patient as your mood will improve slowly over time. Actively engage with others and confide in someone, as this is often better than being alone. Incorporate activities you enjoy, such as movies, hobbies, or social activities, and remember that doing something nice for someone else can also lift your spirits. Support your body's health by getting regular exercise and eating well-balanced meals, while strictly avoiding alcohol and illegal drugs, as these can worsen depression. Delay making big decisions until your depression has lifted, discussing significant life changes with trusted friends and family for an objective view. Finally, understand that recovery is gradual and you won't just "snap out of it”. So let your family and friends help you, focus on the positives, and know that negative thoughts will lessen as treatment begins to work.
The following five points are what was recommended by a trusted medical site, now I want to provide my own insight into what I personally do during the winter months that help me keep me out of the blues.
To be honest with you, dear reader and learner, I keep myself busy. This winter to be specific, I am doing various things to keep myself occupied. First of all, this isn’t something anybody could easily do, but I’m doing full-time student teaching and I’m undergoing my advanced field experience as part of my elementary education degree. You have to be in education to do this specific step, but my practicum is keeping me quite busy and occupied. Outside of student teaching, I tutor two students English and math. I do two sessions a week per student, so that’s four in total. I also do reading buddy sessions weekly with an amazing organization I’ve been a volunteer with for 3 years, and that is United for Literacy. I also have a part-time job as well, that I’ve been dedicated to for 4 years. In the past winters, I’m not obviously a student teacher, but I was doing other things to replace this, for example, I would still be in term completing and studying for my courses. I would also volunteer at my little brother’s elementary school weekly and work with and observe students. I also love to engage in hobbies in my free time, and I love writing. That is why I am also a volunteer content creator for Help Young Minds. I also have been working on a historical fiction novel for the past few years whenever I can, and so I would read various primary and secondary sources and contribute to my draft. It’s a long way for my book to be done, but hopefully one day, I can see it in creation. As you see dear reader, keeping myself occupied has been my biggest ally, and allowed me to not ponder in thought and engage with my darker thoughts that are so common in depression.
I’ve had my battles with depression over the years, I’m not going to lie to you dear reader, but for me, my biggest thing was to keep on going and to not let myself stop. I’ve always been hard on myself, and a little bit of a perfectionist, so something I’ve been mindful lately to keep myself up and motivated, is to stay kind to myself. It’s so important to be gentle on ourselves and to listen to our bodies and not neglect it. There was this beautiful trend I’ve seen where you reflect on your younger self, and think about younger you, and ask yourself, “would you be okay if your 5 year old self was being pushed around mentally the way you do now to yourself?” It makes you a little sad, but it keeps you in check. I’m trying to be kinder to myself, and to let myself understand that it’s okay to have bad days, but to not let those days define me. So dear reader, be kind to yourself too.
Lastly, a thing I’ve been doing is to reward myself. For example, I can choose something small, such as getting up in the morning, and getting started with my day. If I do this task without any problems, then I buy myself a treat. Sometimes, I really want to stay in bed, and I really don’t want to handle my responsibilities, but I get up, and do it anyways, so as a sort of high five to myself, I buy a coffee, cookie, etc. and tell myself “I’m proud of you, keep it up!” Find ways to reward yourself, whether it’s buying yourself a sweet treat or engaging in some self care activity like taking a nap or a bath. You know yourself, and what is a reward to you, so celebrate your wins, and your body will continue to want to celebrate all the wins you have.
To end our blog, I am going to provide various mental health resources you can explore to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and your wellbeing begins by yourself, and acknowledging that you need some improvement. You need to build that willpower of change, and to tell yourself that you’re not defined by your depression. You will be okay this winter. The following site is by the government of Canada, and it has all the info you would need to support your mental health journey. Please explore it.
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html
Other resources used in this blog article:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=What%20is%20seasonal%20affective%20disorder,leading%20to%20symptoms%20of%20depression
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-seasonal-affective-disorder-depression-with-seasonal-pattern/
