Managing winter blues and seasonal affective disorder

Have you heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short? The colder, darker and shorter days can affect anyone’s mood and whether you are questioning if you suffer from this seasonal malady, or you are diagnosed with SAD, there are actions we can manage symptoms. 

What is SAD? 

SAD is a type of depression related to changes in season and commonly appears in the fall and winter months. There is also a rarer form of SAD experienced in spring and summer. But the most common time to experience SAD is in the colder months when a lack of sunlight appears to contribute to the development of SAD. It is understood that reduced sunlight results in SAD by disrupting the circadian rhythm, dropping serotonin levels and possibly changing the balance of melatonin levels in the body. There is also some evidence to suggest that SAD may run in families. 

Signs of fall and winter SAD include: 

• Feeling like sleeping all the time, or having trouble getting a good night’s sleep 
• Feeling tired all the time, making it hard to carry out daily tasks 
• Changes in appetite, particularly more cravings for sugary and starchy foods 
• Feeling sad, guilty and down  
• Feeling hopeless 
• Feeling irritable 
• Avoiding people or activities previously enjoyed 
• Feeling tense and stressed 
• Losing interest in sex and other physical contact

If you think you have SAD, talk to a health professional. Many of these signs can also be present in other health issues, including other types of depression, so it is best to speak to a professional to ensure you are taking the best course of action for your situation.  

Next steps

Nothing beats speaking with a healthcare professional, but here are some tips to ease some of the issues commonly associated with SAD, and most importantly, these tips can help boost mood no matter the time of year: 

• Spend more time outdoors. Is there a mountain top nearby where you can get above the cloud cover? 
• Increase physical activity levels (before the winter season sets in, if you can) 
• Take a regular lunch hour walk
• Spend time in indoor spaces where there is maximum sunlight exposure
• Arrange spaces to increase light. Move furniture, keep blinds and curtains open and trim back any foliage blocking windows. 

Resources for additional support 

• Learn more about SAD from the UBC Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) LifeWorks in this article here 
• LifeWorks provides short term counselling support services without a doctor referral at no cost to eligible staff and faculty, access the 24/7 Care Access Centre at 1-866-424-0770
• LifeWorks has expert self-directed CareNow Programs with modules on depression, coping, and more. 

Learn more about our EFAP, including how to access the LifeWorks platform.

Sources: 

https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/seasonal-affective-disorder 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651