More Than Our Story

Beating The Winter Blues

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If you’ve ever had to shovel your driveway in the cold, dark winter months, chances are you’ve experienced some form of seasonal depression. Keep reading for helpful tips and strategies for beating the winter blues.

What Is It?

Known as winter-pattern SAD (seasonal affective disorder) or winter depression, the winter blues are a common term used to define depressive episodes that affect many North Americans each year. Affecting around 5% of North Americans, SAD is typically diagnosed after at least two consecutive years of more intensive symptoms, but it has been estimated that more general season depression is felt by as many as 1 in 5.

It’s really not that surprising given the colder weather, shorter days, and the generally reduced time spent outdoors relaxing, socializing, exercising and generally having fun that the colder months bring. People suffering from SAD struggle to maintain a positive outlook, and are prone to symptoms like extreme fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, low motivation and weight gain. The good news however, there are a number of ways you can prevent these symptoms from occurring and better manage the effects once they do; keep reading to find out more:

What Causes SAD?

Nobody knows for certain, but most agree that the seasonal changes in day length and weather disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm – the body’s internal 24-hour clock that regulates how we feel and function throughout the day. The changes also alter our hormone production – in particular serotonin and melatonin – which regulate our mood, our feeling of well-being and sleep patterns respectively.

Geography also comes into play here – people living nearer the equator show a much lower proclivity to winter depression compared to those who live at higher latitudes – for the obvious greater extremes in seasonal variance. There is also evidence suggesting that genetics play a part, with people that have a higher tolerance to cold temperatures seeming to have an enhanced ability to fend off the symptoms.

SAD Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of SAD typically can include:

  • Feelings of depression
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Having tiredness or low energy
  • Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
  • Changes in appetite or weight gain
  • Sleeping too much
  • Suicidal thoughts

How Common Is SAD?

Up to 35 percent of Canadians complain of having “winter blues”. Another 10 to 15 percent have a mild form of seasonal depression. Two to five percent of Canadians have clinical Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Women and young people are more likely to experience SAD symptoms, as are those with a family history of depression. People who live farther from the equator are as more likely to experience symptoms.

Two to five percent of Canadians have clinical Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

How To Treat SAD?

Depression is a serious condition that needs to be treated as it limits people’s ability to live happy and fulfilled and productive lives, at work with their colleagues, with their friends, and at home with their loved ones. The body’s circadian rhythm is driven by sunlight, especially in the morning. The further north you travel – the shorter the amount of sunlight you receive. The solution is to maximize the amount of sunlight you receive.

It is important to treat SAD, because all forms of depression limit people's ability to live their lives, to enjoy their families, and to function well at work.

In addition to getting more sunlight there are many treatments and strategies that are useful to improving your mood and positivity that can be employed to help fight off the winter blues, including:

Options For Managing SAD:

Maximize Your Light Intake

Winter brings shorter days the further north you live, which disrupts your body’s circadian rhythm and correlates to an increased occurrence of SAD. Depending on where you live getting enough natural sunlight can be difficult, which is compounded by the cold weather – we’d rather be cozy and warm inside. The following are tips for managing winter blues and SAD.

  • Get Outside. Do your best to get outside during the day – especially in the morning or midday when the sun is at its brightest. In addition to the sunlight, fresh air can improve your mood and energy levels. Make a plan to bundle up and go for a quick walk outdoors each day during your lunch break. 

  • Let In The Sunlight. When indoors try and use as much natural light as possible. If you work remotely choose a workspace with as much natural light as possible. Avoid indoor light as much as possible as it doesn’t offer the same effect – in fact it may even negatively affect SAD symptoms.

  • Light Therapy. Light therapy, or ‘sunboxes’, have special fluorescent tubes that generate ‘full-spectrum’ light, that mimics the sun’s beneficial rays are available, proven and recommended first-line treatment for people suffering from SAD. Typically used for around 30 minutes a day in the morning, light therapy helps maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and improves your mood and symptoms by tricking your body into thinking it is receiving the real thing. Easy to use, and beneficial to everyone, regardless of their degree of symptoms, these lights can be placed on your desk or table while you eat breakfast or work.

  • Dawn Simulators/Light Therapy Alarm Clocks. Just like light therapy, dawn simulators recreate the sun’s light in the morning to wake you up naturally instead of an abrupt noise or music. Nothing gets me up quicker on the wrong side of the bed than an abrasive alarm tone ringing in my ears. The best models use full-spectrum light to mimic the sun’s rays, while entry level models just wake you up by the light – regardless, it’s a more peaceful way to start your mornings.

Medical Intervention

Depression is a serious medical condition that limits people’s ability to live their lives, to enjoy their families, and to function at work. SAD should not be underestimated and medical intervention not overlooked.

  • Seek Help. If you think you are suffering from SAD or even winter blues, seek professional help or talk to a trusted friend or family member. Talking about how you’re feeling is a great way to begin the healing process.
  • Talk With Your Doctor. SAD is a form of depression, a mental health professional will be required to diagnose it. Talk to your family doctor and get a referral to a specialist who can help. If you have experienced SAD in previous years, start to process before winter arrives to ensure you have the help available when you need it.
  • Get Enough Vitamin D. Studies have found that low vitamin D levels are linked to depression and are common in people with SAD. If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD have your vitamin D levels checked and then talk to your health care provider about the best plan for you.
  • What About Antidepressants. If light therapy alone cannot relieve your symptoms, prescription antidepressants may help you manage your SAD. Depression is a serious condition that can affect all aspects of your life and livelihood, and must be treated as such. When prescribed antidepressants for SAD, you’ll typically receive a prescription for the duration of the winter months.

Get Organized

Keeping your mind focused and occupied is a great way to get winter depression at bay. Here are a bunch of ways that you can accomplish that:

  • Make a Schedule/Stick To It. People fighting SAD often report excessive tiredness and lack of energy and motivation. Making a schedule and sticking to it is an easy way to start getting positive feedback and feeling better about yourself. Start small then gradually get larger goals. Day one can simply be: Wake on time, eat a healthy breakfast, and go for a short walk. Accomplishing these goals are easy to accomplish, but the satisfaction of crossing them off your list will get your serotonin flowing, and improve your mood and energy levels. It also helps remove the malaise of figuring out what your next task to accomplish should be. Gradually build up your schedule and your expectations and you’ll be amazed at the difference it can make. This one tip alone can do great things towards fighting the winter blues.

  • Keep a Journal. This one goes great with making and sticking to a schedule. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can have a positive effect on your mindset, especially when you’re feeling great, and even more so when you get to write about what you accomplished that day. It also allows time to reflect upon your day and what you want to accomplish in the upcoming days – an organized mind is busy, and in my experience, often the happiest.

Healthy, Happy

It’s a simple premise, the one the body-mind connection is built upon, that physical health and emotional/mental health are not two separate systems, but intimately linked. Happiness leads to healthier behaviors, and is an important component to maintaining physical, and mental health.

Without health there can be no happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson

  • Exercise. Exercise can help alleviate almost all of the SAD symptoms. Exercise helps improve your mood, focuses the mind, increases your energy and can help you lose the extra weight that often comes with depression. If you can, outdoor exercise during sunlight hours is best, if not, anything indoors to bring up your heart rate is great.

  • Eat Well. When you’re feeling down it’s tempting to load up on junk food and comfort foods. Avoid processed meats, fried food, refined cereals, pastries, and high-fat dairy products as they’re more likely to make you more anxious and depressed. Research suggests a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can help boost your mood and help fight off the winter blues.

  • Stay Healthy. SAD symptoms occur during cold and flu season. That’s extra important to know, as when you get sick your immune system works harder to get you healthy again, putting you at increased risk for depression. Make sure you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need. Consider taking multi-vitamin and a vitamin D supplement if you live in a cold climate. 

  • Avoid Alcohol. Alcohol is a common solution for people feeling down, but alcohol is also a depressant, so you’re just compounding the effects. Avoid alcohol whenever possible or drink in moderation to keep your mood clear.

  • Limit Screen Time. Avoid the temptation to spend more time indoors on your phone, laptop or watching television during the winter months. Extended screen time is associated with depressed mood, increased fatigue, and interrupted sleep patterns. Putting down your screens, or limiting their use will help you fight winter blues – especially at night when extended use can disrupt the melatonin release needed to help you fall asleep.

Socialize

Depression and loneliness often go hand in hand, as we all know too well after the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Plan Social Activities. Social activities give you something to look forward to, and the social interaction they provide is a great boost for our mental health. Plan to visit a dog park together with friends, go skiing, or go on a snowshoeing adventure. Finding ways to stay connected during the winter months will go a long way towards battling SAD – even if the social activities are indoors.

  • Surround Yourself With Good People. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones that make you happy, inspire you and bring out the best in you. Reduce or cut-off ties with people who make you feel badly about yourself – remove the toxicity from your life.

Treat Yourself

The most important person when dealing with the winter blues, or SAD, is you! Be kind to yourself, go easy on yourself, and smile!

  • Take a Vacation/Staycation. Taking a break from everyday routine is a great way to beat SAD, the excitement leading up to and during your break will linger long after it’s done.

  • Check Something Off Your Bucket List. Pick up a new hobby or tackle that thing you‘ve been putting off. Turning your attention elsewhere and focusing your positive energy and mind are a great way to motivate yourself and improve your overall mental health and re-energize you in the process.

Recap

Winters are long and hard, but spring always comes and the birds will sing again. By practicing some of these techniques the winter blues will hopefully become a tune that you can smile and sing along with.

SOURCES

Picture of Daniel

Daniel

Daniel is an extremely curious person, a wealth of random knowledge and facts. Extremely passionate about a vast array of interests ranging from health to history, science to athletics, everything culinary and the list goes on. Trust us, you would want to be on his team for Trivial Pursuit. Daniel is also years into his battle with brain cancer. He experienced a seizure while on a Zoom call at work in late 2020 and quite literally, his life changed within minutes. After his operation he started to talk about his story but had always known it was more than just him. From then, More Than Our Story became a PROJECT that has evolved into the starting point it is today.

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