Experiencing less daylight in the winter months, like February, can make you feel, well, sad — and I don’t just mean feeling.
As we near the end of October, we’re approaching what’s commonly referred to as SAD season, a time when seasonal affective disorder (SAD) takes its toll, according to Anisha Patel-Dunn, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer at LifeStance Health, an outpatient. mental health company.
“Seasonal affective disorder is really a type of depression that can last about four to five months on average,” says Patel-Dunn, “For most people, that’s it. [during] fall in winter.”
Coupled with the lack of sunshine, mass layoffs and fear of recession led to strong emotions emerging during this year, he added. The critical time when SAD is most common, but usually at its worst, is late October to late February, Patel-Dunn said.
Some common symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are experiencing a depressed mood for one day for two weeks or more, a lack of pleasure in doing things you used to enjoy and changes in energy, motivation, sleep or appetite, she noted. .
Here are some tips and tools to help you get through this SAD season.
8 tips for maintaining positive mental health during SAD season
- Maintain a structured sleep routine by waking up and going to bed at the same time every day. Try to stay consistent over the weekend.
- Make sure you get healthy nutrition throughout the day and don’t eat heavy meals before bed.
- Grab your coat and get out as often as you can.
- exercise. Research shows “30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four to five times a week can impact and improve mood,” says Patel-Dunn.
- Avoid drinking coffee or alcohol close to bedtime.
- Avoid blue light from your phone before bed.
- Find a friend or loved one to talk to about your feelings.
- Get help from a professional if things get tough. “Don’t fight alone,” he said.
Tools you can use to stay happy and avoid SAD
Using a 10,000 lux light box for 30 minutes each morning has been shown to help with seasonal affective disorder, according to Patel-Dunn.
You can also use a sunrise alarm clock that mimics the colors of the sunrise if it’s harder for you to get out of bed before sunrise, he adds.
Also consider “a nightly journaling routine, writing down what worries you,” says Patel-Dunn.
“I think there’s an ability to, even at home, be psychologically introspective, just have self-awareness and realize that some of those simple tools can be very useful.”
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