Previously in this series.
by Edmontonenthusiast, via Wikimedia Commons
I’m a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I’ve had depression off and on my entire life, and as I age, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has become a reoccurring problem. Over the years I’ve developed a number of strategies to deal with it. While last year was one of my worst years for SAD, this year has been good so far — mostly because I’ve implemented the strategies that follow.
First, know that I’m not a medical professional; I’m just a writer and journalist who happens to have Seasonal Affective Disorder, so please consult your doctor if you have any questions. Second, some of the suggestions outlined below involve money — I recognize that I have a certain amount of privilege to be able to afford some of these options. Whenever possible, I tried to suggest a cheaper option, too. Third, I live alone, am in my late thirties, and don’t have children, and these factors also influenced the tips I have to share.
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, a northern city with a metropolitan population of one million. We sit on the 53rd parallel, and have winters so long that residents often make jokes about living on Hoth. I spent two and a half years living in Vancouver, so I also know the pain of living in a dark, rainy climate. Unfortunately, many of the tips that I will offer will be more relevant to people who live in snowy conditions.
Half of fighting SAD is adopting the right mindset. You have to accept that Seasonal Affective Disorder is something that happens to you, and you have to go into the winter months on the offensive. I start planning my strategy months in advance.
1. Find a good doctor who can help you address SAD. I see a sleep therapist/psychiatrist who has proved invaluable, and I’ve also got a primary care physician. I’m on antidepressants, and my doctors and I adjust my medication specifically for the winter months. I’ve seen a cognitive behavioural therapist and engaged in talk therapy for depression, which I do recommend. Last year, I found a free depression skills group through the mental health clinic in my city.
2. Most people who live in northern climates should probably take a daily Vitamin D supplement. On the advice of my doctor, I take 5,000 IUD of Vitamin D each day. (Please ask your doctor before you do this.) I also take a Vitamin B pill, and an Omega 3 pill with high EPA, recommended by my doctor.
3. Buy a lightbox. These lightboxes can mimic outdoor light, which can cause chemical changes in the brain and boost mood. I bought my lightbox seven years ago. I start using it in September before the days even start getting shorter. I put it near my computer and keep it on for a while in the morning. I got my lightbox from Northern Light Technologies, which ships to Canada and the United States. It was $200, but I wrote it off on my taxes as a medical expense, and it’s been worth every single penny. The public library in Edmonton has lightboxes that can be used on-site.
4. Help your body adapt to winter. Remember to hydrate and moisturize. I drink lots of water and herbal tea. I use lip balms, lotions and creams. I’m not above sticking Vaseline up my nose to stave off nosebleeds. Friends swear by their humidifiers, but I’ve yet to try one. Do what you can to make your environment and your body feel more comfortable. This will help boost your mood.
5. Resist the urge to spend too much time in your bed or on the couch watching Netflix. Yes, it is okay to take to your bed now and then — it can be healthy to take a day off from the world once in a while, and I do it a few times a year. But if you succumb to the urge too often, it gets harder to get moving and deal with your life. You have to make sure that you’re not indulging yourself, and that you’re actually getting out of your house and getting things done.
6. Get the proper gear. It’s important to have good boots and a good coat and proper winter clothing. This will make it easier for you to go outside and actually enjoy leaving your house. Winterize your car, and get good snow tires if you live in an area where you will need them.
7. Exercise creates endorphins, which boosts your mood. I go to dance class twice a week, and yoga twice a week. My yoga classes are drop-in, but my dance classes are at a fixed time, and this is good because I can’t brush them off. Besides being a good source of physical activity, I’ve danced with the same women for many years, so dancing is also a social occasion for me. The ladies in my classes make me laugh, and I get an additional mood boost from going to my classes. (Some yoga studios have free or pay-what-you-can classes, which are often called “karma classes.”)
8. I find that meditation helps me feel more grounded. I was in an anxiety skills group last year and we did some mindfulness exercises that I found helpful. You can look for guided meditations on YouTube or free meditation podcasts on iTunes. Headspace offers a great app that will teach you how to meditate through a series of free 10-minute meditations. (They’ll want you to pay for advanced classes, but the first 10 sessions are free.)
9. Try to make sure that you have as much access to natural light as possible. Open your blinds. When you’re in a coffee shop or restaurant during the day, try to sit by a window. If you have the option, avoid living in a basement suite. I chose my apartment based on its natural light. I work from home, and my desk is beside a large window.
10. Get outside. I try to make myself feel more excited about winter by adopting winter sports — I cross-country ski and have skated in the past. Some of my friends snowshoe. Some stores or city recreation facilities have equipment that can be borrowed or rented. You could go tobogganing with the kids in your life, or just go for a walk. I try to go for a walk outside every day, especially when it is sunny out. If you work in an office, you might want to sneak out during your lunch hour and get some natural Vitamin D. My city also has lots of free winter festivals. All of these outdoor activities helps me get fresh air and natural light. It can also help change my mindset: during our most recent snowstorm, I started getting excited about cross-country ski trails instead of dwelling on how cold it was.
11. Watch your diet. When you’re feeling down, depressed or simply sluggish, it can be tempting to sit on the couch with a bag of chips and binge-watch TV. Trust me, I feel your pain. It’s really hard for me not to eat a lot of pasta during the winter months, so in order to combat this, I turn to soups and stews with lots of vegetables. My slow cooker is my friend. Once I’ve cooked something, I also feel better about having done something positive for myself. I eat lots of fruit and I tend to treat myself to sushi or salmon once a week, justifying it with the reason that fish is high in Omega-3.
12. Richard Louv, the author of “The Last Child in the Woods,” writes about nature deficit disorder and how people actually function better when they have access to green space. I try to have lots of plants in my house, so I can see some green year-round. This year I’m planning to go visit my local conservatory, especially the tropical pavilion. My hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has a free conservatory in its art gallery, and I used to love to sit there and pretend I was in the tropics. The West Edmonton Mall (famed for being one of the largest malls in North America) has a large indoor wave pool that mimics a tropical beach. This year, plan to go there and pretend I’m in another part of the world.
13. Nothing can make you feel lower than spending too much time alone. You need to make plans with friends, and get out of your house. Of course you’ll want to stay home when there’s a blizzard or the roads are bad, but you should make plans to go out and do something social at least once a week. It will make a huge difference to your mood. Make plans and keep them. Invite people to visit you. Volunteering for local festivals or organizations can also get you out of your house and make you feel as though you’re making a difference.
14. Find things to get excited about. I’m a huge movie watcher, so I follow all the Oscar buzz. I know it’s frivolous, but it’s something fluffy to keep my mind occupied. I try to get out and go see movies whenever I can. Make time for things that you like to do, that interest you and make you feel good. Create some anticipation, and have fun.
15. Try not to whine about winter too much. Yes, it’s terrible and it feels like it will never end. Every northern resident has done some whining. But if you whine too much, it will actually influence your mood and cause you to feel worse. Resist posting negative status updates about winter on social media. (Please note that this is different from talking to a good friend, family member or therapist about your low mood — talk therapy and talking with people you trust about how you feel is good; whining about winter is not.)
16. If you can do it, consider taking a winter vacation to a sunny destination. We took a winter vacation last year for the first time, and it helped so much that my boyfriend and I decided to do it again this year. We started planning our winter vacation in August. We found a killer seat sale in October, and are already anticipating our trip to Palm Springs in February.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a nasty beast that can sneak up on you. I hope that some of these tips help you as they’ve helped me. I still struggle during the winter, but with these strategies I’ve outlined, I now have a few tools that help me keep the SAD demons away.
Tags: advice, alexis kienlen, depression, health, seasonal affective disorder
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Even though I have lived the majority of my life in the Southern/Southwestern US, I struggle with the shorter winter days. These are all great tips! #7 is my own personal secret weapon. On crappy, cold, rainy days, if I just force myself to do even the minimum of walking on the treadmill at the gym for half an hour, I can see a huge difference in my outlook on life. Have fun in Palm Springs! It’s absolutely beautiful there, and there is lots of great hiking in the vicinity.
This is a great list. Re #12: I went a little crazy last January buying houseplants and planting seeds, and I’m feeling that urge creep up again. I feel so relieved having green things around when everything is grey outside.
Agreed! I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but last winter I had a couple of accidental tomato sprouts, and they kept me busy buying them bigger pots and better dirt as they grew and grew. It was the happiest winter I ever had, so I’m doing it again on purpose.
So far this winter, I’m up to three IKEA tabletop greenhouses in a sunny window located under a heating vent, currently raising seven tomato plants, a couple of marigolds, and some grass for my cats. The seventh tomato plant popped up in one of the marigold pots just recently! I have no idea how it got there. Which is another reason indoor gardening is a great way to combat SAD: in addition to the bright hopeful colors and the delicious summery smell, these little plants compel me to say Life finds a way in my best Ian Malcolm voice. A mantra for a better winter.
Yep, it’s a bit magical to see something come to life, especially from stuff I would normally throw away (seeds, old garlic cloves, etc.). Not to mention having an excuse to get dirt under my fingernails when it’s time to re-pot.
Your little tomato oasis sounds delightful. Happy gardening!
I’ve found a local garden supply store where I can get tiny plants and greenhouse stuff, and it’s my favorite form of retail therapy.
Yes! All these things. But especially vitamin D, which is so convenient to take in drop form.
I’ve been thinking about getting a timer that will turn a lamp on for me about half an hour before my alarm goes off. I don’t get much light in my bedroom and it makes a huge difference in how motivated I am to get out of bed and start my day.
I have one of these! I’ve been using it for about 3 or 4 weeks (started too late in the year, but what can you do) and I’ve definitely been noticing an improvement in mood. I’ve also been getting up earlier, even if getting up is still hard. It’s just…more possible with the light timer.
I do this timer-lamp hookup, and it’s so worth it. A simple timer should be around $7. The brighter the lamp the better for SAD – 12,000 lux is the minimum shown to be effective. But if you’re just looking for something to wake you up, you don’t need to drop the cash on a calibrated lightbox. Just get a bright lamp.
I’ve done the lamp + timer and the light did help but I had a cheap-o, old timer that made a really loud CLICK when it turned on which woke me up, so if you can, maybe splurge on a better-quality timer. (Results may vary, etc.)
Any thoughts about what to do if you have a partner and are the first one waking up in the morning? I’m not sure how to get light box time in; it’s one of the main reasons I don’t have one already.
Could you have it in the bathroom or kitchen? Someplace that won’t wake up your partner but that’s part of your normal morning routine, so you can have the lightbox on while you brush your teeth or make tea or coffee or whatever.
What a great idea! I get pounded by SAD, too, it is no joke. My house and now my apt are sited so that the morning sun came through the bedroom windows and I can enjoy the afternoon sun coming though the living rooms as the sun sets. It’s so jolly and welcoming! Going forward, this will always be a factor for me.
My secret weapon is a husky-mix dog, who requires an hour run at lunch time- I leave the office and get daylight and exercise during our tiny window of light (less than four hours right now!). But I’m really wishing I’d planned a trip for January instead of May this year.
Happy solstice, everyone! The light is COMING BACK!
And when you’re too tired to move, you can cuddle with the dog!
She is an A+++ cuddler, that is a fact.
So fluffy!
I’m also in Edmonton and the winters suuuuuuck.
The Muttart is well worth it (I try to go once a month or so in the winter) and the Citadel also has a nice garden in the lobby.
I’ve been using a “wake-up light” as an alarm clock for the past few years and find that helpful. The room is bright by the time by eyes actually open.
The Citadel garden is so nice! When I worked downtown I often brought my lunch there to eat, it was such a nice break from our horrible winters.
Also in Edmonton! I think the fact that EPL has the lights is amazing (I love EPL!)
Anyone have any tips or explanations or anything for body aches? I notice I get a lot of aches and pains around this time of year, all over my back and shoulders and knees. I don’t normally get joint pain and it seems to be worse on dark days (rather than tied to temperature or moisture).
I’m taking Vitamin D, using a light box every morning, and just started Prozac last week. Been a rough winter so far.
I think I just don’t move as much when it’s dark and gloomy- like, even just baseline getting up off my chair regularly movement. Which is awful for my joints. Dark and gloomy makes me grumpy which makes me tense, too. Or at least these are my personal working theories.
Make sure you’re getting enough fluids and electrolytes. Exercise in general, or yoga, especially hot yoga (warm up those joints!).
I like all you’re doing! Have you tried Glucosamine and Chondroytin? My brother turned me on to these and the relief from joint pain is wondrous.
I’ve also got Calcium and Magnesium mixed as a powder, which I drink with hot water as a kind of tea. (It foams up when the water hits it, and I pretend it’s a magic potion from “Macbeth” and cackle to myself) wonderful and perfect for sleep.
Both of these are definitely in the “check with your doctor” category, as calcium binds to things and may affect your perscribed drug’s effectivness.
This year I have employed a SAD lamp and a weekly session of talking therapy and I’m vastly more Seasonally Adjusted than i can remember being in probably about a decade? ie I’ve only felt as if I was crippled by unscheduled premenstrual anomie for about 6 days in the last three months rather than, I don’t know, about 7 weeks last year. The last three winters have been… woahh, really really challenging. And I don’t even live in a country where it’s that cold or dark, relatively. I also wonder if my enormously belated viewing of Parade’s End in October and subsequent conversion to the Dark Sibling Cults of Derelicte Gussethwump and Johnlock has kept me on a more even keel than is customary. (‘I wonder’… who am I trying to fucking kid. If it hadn’t been for that story where Holmes and Watson are hanging out with Lytton Strachey and JM Keynes I highly doubt I would have made it out of bed for an entire weekend last month except to urinate and eat crumpets).
Yes! Thank you for writing this.
I started to get SAD really severely this month and could feel myself sliding right off the rails. Luckily I went in and saw my nutritionist and she got me to do the Vitamin D drop thing and my mood has made a complete 180.
I’ve also been making an effort to walk as much as possible and that’s been helping as well. I’ll definitely remember to hit up the local greenhouse. At least it’s free and will feel tropical compared to frigid TO.
Figuring out how much time it’s OK to lie on the couch watching Netflix is such a hard thing for me. Cause like, I know it’s OK to unwind and watch something silly after a long day! But it’s hard for me to not have that instantly translate into doing so for hours and hours– but at the same time, when that happens it’s clearly not helpful to beat myself up about it, and that in itself is maybe as bad for my mental health than the actual TV-watching. I grew up in a very “TV ROTS YOUR BRAIN” household so there’s a lot of guilt around it for me. Since TV can defuse anxiety for me the idea of limiting it too much is scary, but I know too much makes me feel braindead and fuzzy, too. Has any genius figured out the best way to balance this?
I’ve been trying to institute a rule of never watching more than two episodes of a show in one day. It keeps me from getting in binge-watching mode and as an added bonus it prolongs the experience of watching shows I genuinely enjoy. But if you watch a bunch of different series on Netflix or you’re more of a documentary person this might not work as well for you.
There are bulbs for lamps if you can’t go the lightbox route. They are still very dear for a light bulb but worth it. I use the Chromalux brand and they help so much. They come highly recommended by my mom and her cats.
This is excellent and practical advice; just to add though, if you get a light box do NOT think ‘hey I know exactly how to use this’ and joyfully chuck the instructions away, because I pressed a bunch of buttons on mine and now it gradually lights up the room at 3 in the morning and makes bird sounds and I have no idea how to change it. It hampers the effect a bit.
Ah, but the realism! It’s like real sunshine and real birds.
I feel like this should have been obvious years ago, but I’ve recently found that pulling down all the blinds/drapes helps a lot during the evenings. Something about SEEING that it’s pitch black at 6pm makes the whole thing worse. Now I basically block all active awareness of the outdoors and it makes a big difference.
Also in Edmonton! I think the fact that EPL has the lights is amazing (I love EPL!)