If shorter days and colder temperatures shift your energy and make you feel sad, you’re exhibiting classic symptoms of a seasonal mood disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of seasonal depression triggered by the change in seasons that occurs primarily in the fall and winter.
So, how does this happen to people? There’s not a definitive answer for this, but experts think that but that seasonal changes disrupt our circadian rhythm, which is the 24-hour clock that regulates how we function during sleeping and waking hours, causing us to have more energy and feel alert at times and drained at others.
Another theory is that the changing seasons disrupt serotonin and melatonin levels, which control sleep, mood, and overall feelings of health. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, about 4 to 6 percent of US are diagnosed with SAD, and more than 20 percent may have a mild form of the disorder that starts when there are less sunlight and outdoor warmth.
Interestingly, women and young people are more likely to experience SAD, as are those who live farther away from the equator. People with a family history, anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder may be more susceptible as well.
So, what can we do about this? Here are a few treatments that really work to alleviate the symptoms of SAD.
1. ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Light therapy boxes and therapy lamps give off light that
mimics sun rays that can help in the recovery from seasonal affective disorder. The light from the therapy boxes is much brighter than that of regular light bulbs, and it’s provided in different wavelengths.
Typically, if you have SAD, you sit in front of a light box for about 30 minutes a day. This will stimulate your body’s circadian rhythms and suppress its natural release of melatonin.
2. CREATE YOUR OWN DAWN
Dawn simulators can also help some people with seasonal affective disorder. These devices operate like alarm clocks, but rather than waking you abruptly with loud music or beeping, they produce light that gradually increases in strength, just like the sun.
Different models of dawn simulators are available, but the best ones use full-spectrum light, which is closest to natural sunlight. Russian researchers found that dawn simulators were as effective as light therapy for people with mild SAD.
3. DISCUSS SYMPTOMS WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Because SAD is a form of depression, it’s best diagnosed by
talking with a mental health professional as soon as you can as to pin down if there are other factors at play.
If you do indeed suffer from SAD, therapy can help you work it out and often, the therapist can help you look at the world through a different lens.
4. UTILIZE AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy may also help curb the symptoms of seasonal disorder. The essential oils can penetrate the area of the brain that’s controls moods and the body’s internal clock that influences sleep and appetite.
You can add a few drops of essential oils to your bath or in an infuser at night to encourage relaxation and stress relief.
5. EXERCISE
As it does with other forms of depression, exercise can help alleviate seasonal affective disorder, too. Outdoor exercise would help the most. But if you can’t the weather doesn’t permit it, fire up the treadmill, an elliptical bike, or stair machine close to a window at the gym to simulate outdoor exploration.
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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