8 Ways to Battle Seasonal Depression

8 Ways to Battle Seasonal Depression 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a depressive disorder found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2020). There are individuals who are diagnosed with this disorder, and there are others who may experience symptoms without meeting criteria for the diagnosis. Both are valid and to be taken seriously. The challenge and the resiliency within seasonal depression is that as the seasons change, your internal states change with them. 

Through colder and darker climates, people may experience a variety of depressive symptoms, including but not limited to: low motivation, loss of interest in activities they usually enjoy, increased sedentariness, and thoughts of death or suicide.** Please scroll to the bottom of the article  to talk to someone and seek support. 

Although it is less common, some people do experience seasonal affective disorder in the summer months.

Below are a few ideas and reminders of how to battle seasonal depression. It’s not just about keeping ourselves busy We also need to learn about what we need to tolerate difficult emotions when things are really hard. SAD is also treatable. Speak to a provider about treatment options, such as light therapy, medication, talk therapy, or a combination of these. 

This is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Please scroll to the bottom of the article for resources to seek support. 

1. Create Heat: Pile on the extra blankets, hot teas, lattes, candles and movement. If you are resistant to movement or exercise, try to focus on the goal instead of the process. Shifting your focus to creating heat may pull your body to naturally start shaking, fidgeting, and stretching. The goal is to transmit heat around your core and extremities. A hot shower can also do the trick! Add a mantra, intention or prayer. A few prompts to get you to the goal: 

• I am creating _____(ie: heat, energy, joy, calm, love)

• I’m looking forward to feeling _____(warmth, good, better, present)

• My body can ______ (ie: tell me what I need, do hard things, take me to the next step).

2. Start a New Hobby (or pick up an old one): Fall & winter can feel like a time to do activities that are more curled up. You may feel a pull to channel your energy more inward. Do you notice your body drawing more into itself? Curling up and crossing limbs over each other? What is your body telling you? You may be in need of recuperation. Allow yourself to explore these different seasons of expansion and contraction. You may also find yourself more depleted during these months. Be gentle with yourself, your body really is working harder just to stay warm! A few inwardly focused activities: meditation, crochet, knitting, art making, journaling, songwriting, cooking, macrame. Do you have ideas to add? Leave them in the comments below. 

3. Movie Nights & Theatre: Treat yourself to movie nights. Whether it be at home or at the local theater (#supportlocaltheatre). You may also have a list of things you have been meaning to watch! These lists may seem “obvious”. But when we are in a low mood or experience depression, we can forget about our resources, both internal and external. Get specific about what excites you. Are you looking for books by Native American authors (Reedsy Discover, 2022)? Do you want to find a Gay Autistic comedian (like Hannah Gadsby) (The View, 2022)? What are the shows, movies and artists that inspire you?

4. Redecorate: Your space can become an external representation of you (or vice versa). A reorganization of a room or change in decoration can orient us into a new chapter of our lives, one that is in our control. It’s inextricably an influence on our nervous system. If you’re not sure where to start, think about what you need (and what you don’t) based on your senses:

• Touch 

• Smell 

• Taste 

• Sound

• Sight

5. Planning: Create intentional space for yourself to daydream. Then, turn those daydreams into a plan. Notice what your planning style is. Do you like to take it one day or 1 week at a time? Do you create goals every 3 months? Maybe it’s a combination of these. Do you want a planner that does it all? Use Priscilla10 for 10% off when you check out at https://passionplanner.com/. *

6. Save Money. Our relationship with money is an important conversation as it does relate to mental health (and vice versa). Let’s break the “hush hush” culture about our finances. We need money to survive in this capitalist world. Not normalizing these discussions amongst a variety of spaces (work, school, peers, family, therapy, etc) can actually be a form of gatekeeping, especially for the BIPOC community and other marginalized groups.

Is it hard to say “no” to extra spending? Call someone who can be accountable to you, and may even join you! It’s not too late to start “No Spend November”. It can also be a time to learn more about financial health in general. A favorite financial podcast by Jannese Torres: Yo Quiero Dinero

7. Vitamin D: You may want to check your vitamin D levels, as these levels sometimes correlate with increased symptoms of depression (Menon, Suthar, Nebhinani, 2020). Vitamin D is an essential nutrient the body doesn’t naturally produce, but needs. Talk to your primary care doctor to see if interventions such as light therapy may benefit you. It’s also easy to overlook (or avoid) outdoor time in the winter. Taking a walk outside once a day, even when it’s cold, can be another way to supplement your mental health needs for sunlight. Typically you need about 20 minutes of sunlight a day. With this, don’t skip the sunscreen! Protecting your skin is an important factor even in the winter. Another option is to consume food and/or supplements fortified with vitamin D, or that naturally carry vitamin D (Moriarty, 2018). Speak with your provider about what is the best approach for you, and find a list of more information in the Moriarty (2018) article linked below. 

8. Embrace it: Easier said than done. If it was so easy, we wouldn’t need this post! It may feel like time to slow down. In a productivity based culture, it can be easy to resist rest. Notice what draws you into decompressing. Notice what sparks joy. 

It can be difficult to think of what we need when we are in the depression. If you experience seasonal depression, keep a list handy. Your list can be a gift to yourself when you’re feeling stuck. Set an alarm or an automatic email reminder so you literally receive your list of coping tools when the time comes around for next season. 

Bonus: 

We aren’t the only ones who feel the seasonal changes. Do you have a fur friend who can join you? We know animals can be a powerful part of mental health care. Talk to them about your feelings aloud. They love you just for being there and spending extra time with them. They are also great listeners.

Have your own ideas? Add them below!

*This writer receives income from the affiliate link/code. 

**Call the SAMSHA National Helpline for support: 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357 https://www.samhsa.gov/

   ** Call or text 988 (National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) https://988lifeline.org/

  **In an emergency call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. 

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2020, October, n.d.) Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). www.psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=Seasonal%20affective%20disorder*%20is%20a,Depressive%20Disorder%20with%20Seasonal%20Pattern.

Menon V, Kar SK, Suthar N, Nebhinani N. Vitamin D and Depression: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence and Future Directions. Indian J Psychol Med. 2020 Jan 6;42(1):11-21. doi: 10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_160_19. PMID: 31997861; PMCID: PMC6970300.

Moriarty, C. (2018, March 15) Vitamin D Myths ‘D’-bunked. Yale Medicine. YaleMedicine.comhttps://www.yalemedicine.org/news/vitamin-d-myths-debunked 

Reedsy Discovery. (2022, February 26) 40 Best Native American Authors to Read in 2022. Reedsy.com https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/native-american-author

The View. [The View]. (2022, March 30). Hannah Gadsby explains how her autism informs her comedy. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znxv2f1whtQ