How to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder / 20 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
There’s lots to love about autumn and winter: Gorgeous leaves; crisp air; scarves; the first snowfall. But with shorter days and longer nights, it’s common to feel blue. In addition to the change in daylight hours, this time of year can be challenging to many people due to a range of feelings about the holidays and the end of the year. Expectations, pressures, and grief can all make an appearance around this time. If you’re one of the many people who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or any version of winter blues, here are some strategies to cope.
But first, what’s the difference between Seasonal Affective Disorder and the winter blues?
The winter blues is a general, non-clinical term. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a clinical term for a type of depression, with specific criteria that are similar to major depression. Like depression, SAD can range from mild to severe. The typical signs and signals of SAD include:
Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Changes in appetite; usually eating more, craving carbohydrates
Change in sleep; usually sleeping too much
Loss of energy or increased fatigue despite increased sleep hours
Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable to others)
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide (If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, there are many resources that can help. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 988; learn more at https://988lifeline.org . If you’re currently at risk or in crisis, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.)
20 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
If you’re struggling with SAD or the winter blues, there are many steps you can take to improve your mood. Give these a try.
1. Reach out to your support people. If you’re struggling with SAD or the winter blues, one of the best things you can do is reach out for help, whether to family, friends, a therapist, or people in your community. Who are those people for you? When we’re struggling, we can convince ourselves that we’re a burden, or we may feel ashamed to ask for help, but if you can reach out despite the discomfort of being vulnerable, you’ll likely find that people want to help. Think about who in your life you feel most comfortable with, and reach out. You can say something simple, like, “I’m having a hard time and could use some support,” and go from there. If you don’t already have a therapist, consider finding one. You deserve support and care.
2. Go for a brisk walk outside first thing in the morning. Going outside first thing in the morning is the OG SAD lamp, and the brisk walk also helps improve mood. Getting light into your eyeballs first thing in the morning is one of the best things you can do for your circadian rhythms and mood in general. Daylight savings time can mess with our sense of sleep/wake times, and this helps the creature part of you get into a regular rhythm.
3. Get a SAD lamp. Research shows that light therapy can help reduce SAD symptoms. If you have to be inside during the morning hours, position a SAD lamp near your desk.
4. Exercise / Engage in movement you enjoy. Walk, run, dance, stretch, lift weights, swim – find the ways you like to move, and make it a habit. Aerobic exercise specifically has mood-boosting effects.
5. Focus on nutrition. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and vitamins from food. Cook nourishing meals at home with root vegetables, warming spices, and your choice of protein.
6. Consider supplements. Vitamin D, B complex, magnesium, and fish oil can all be supportive depending on your particular needs. Some studies show a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and SAD symptoms. Generally speaking, nutrient deficiencies can contribute to mental health symptoms including low mood and anxiety. You may also want to add in immune supports, like elderberry, zinc, and vitamin C. It’s a good idea to get your levels checked before supplementing, so you have a sense of what you need. I recommend consulting with your doctor who can work with you to determine what kinds of supplements may benefit you.
7. Get good sleep. Sleep is critical for our health in every season. During the winter months, it’s common to need more sleep, but we don’t want to overdo it. Waking up at the same time each morning, and going outside for a walk shortly thereafter, is one of the best ways to keep a regular circadian rhythm. This helps regulate hormones, mood, and everything else.
8. Keep a dream journal. Longer nights make winter a great time to tend to your dream life. Try keeping a dream journal and write down your dreams in the morning. You can then work with your dreams to make meaning of them, and even experiment with lucid dreaming if it calls to you. Sleep and dreams can be a portal to connecting to aspects of our spiritual life, and winter provides an ideal scenario for turning towards this realm.
9. Grieve. Wintertime often requires us to face some of our more difficult emotions. SAD symptoms can come from a pile up of unprocessed feelings. If you’re grieving, allow yourself to cry as you need to. There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling sad. If you’ve suffered a loss, large or small, it’s understandable that you’d feel some emotions at the turning point of the year. Let yourself feel your feelings.
10. Make a list of the things you love about the season, and make a plan to do those things. Do you love to ski? Do you like to cozy up with a book? Are there things you especially enjoy this time of year? Do you have rituals you like to engage in every year around this time? Find time to do those things.
11. Get cozy. Make your space cozy with candles, uplifting scents (citrus, ginger can be uplifting; vetiver and woodsy scents are great for grounding), plenty of lamps, music. Get some warm, cozy socks!
12. Dress for the weather. Looking cute is great, but listen: Make sure you have appropriately warm clothing and gear. This sounds so basic, but I know I used to skimp on this when I was younger, and it makes a big difference to feeling like you can cope with the season. Depending on where you live, this means having a solid winter coat, warm sweaters, hat, scarf, gloves, and durable waterproof shoes.
13. Schedule time with your favorite people. Who are your favorite people? Reach out to them and make a plan to connect – whether through a visit or a phone call – at some point this season.
14. Spend time with pets or other animals. If you don’t have a pet of your own, visit a friend with a pet, pet shelter, or rescue center. Especially if you’re an animal lover, this can really lift the spirits.
15. Be with plants. Visit the greenhouse section of the Botanical Garden and soak up the plant energy. If you’re in NYC, try the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or the New York Botanic Garden in the Bronx. Or, get a houseplant and care for it.
16. Indulge in books. Personally, I love to find a multi-generational family saga novel that I can really sink into for the season.
17. Schedule a sensory treat. If you have the resources to do so, schedule a massage or visit a sauna. Tending to our physical body can comfort and support our whole selves.
18. Take a break, and/or plan a trip for the year ahead. If you have the resources to do so, plan to be away somewhere warm and sunny at some point during the winter, to break up the season with something fun. If you can’t travel, plan a trip for a future date. Just envisioning yourself somewhere else you’d love to be – maybe somewhere warm and sunny – can give you something to look forward to, and planning for it can engage your ability to visualize and allow you to travel there in your mind, which can have a positive effect on mood and your sense of possibility.
19. Give yourself regular doses of humor. Find what works for you — whether it’s a favorite TV show, movie, YouTube channel, or meme account — find what makes you reliably laugh out loud, and visit often. Sometimes life is heavy and we just need something that will bring a smile to our face for a few minutes. Laughing is essential medicine.
20. Get support. If you’re struggling with SAD or the winter blues, you don’t have to suffer through it alone. Talking with a therapist can help. You deserve support and care. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a therapist if you need support.
Wishing you a healthy winter season!
If you’re looking for a therapist in NYC or anywhere in New York State, feel free to reach out to schedule a free initial consultation.
