I am starting to really feel like spring is around the corner! The temperatures are rising, the sun seems to appear more often and I am feeling much less ‘blah‘.

Normally, I do get towards the end of winter and say “I’m done with this, I want spring!” However this year, that feeling came MUCH EARLIER. Like the middle of January. I seriously struggled.

Where I am located, winter was pretty intense this past go around. Two months of -30C temps (as the high for the day), and a whole whack load of snow began to drain me. Plus two years of not being able to go on a hot, sunny vacation during the winter months did not help. Add in some issues with my truck starting (either it was the block heater or battery — both have since been fixed/replaced), and I found myself lazy, moody, and a lack of interest in life.

Pretty much, the vague idea of “SAD” – ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’.

Most commonly, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses. It is considered a type of depression.

Common signs and symptoms include:

Winter SAD:

• Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
• Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)

Summer SAD: 

• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Poor appetite, leading to weight loss
• Restlessness and agitation
• Anxiety
• Episodes of violent behavior

The specific cause is unknown, but some theories are:

• circadian rhythm – the decrease in sunlight hours in the winter months may affect your body’s internal clock
• serotonin – your serotonin levels can decrease due to the shorter sunlight hours
• melatonin – this hormone makes you feel sleepy, so an increase of this (likely due to decreased sunlight) can affect your sleep pattern and moods

Seasonal affective disorder is diagnosed more often in women than in men. And SAD occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults.

Now… How to help yourself. Here are some suggestions to help make you feel better:

• vitamin D supplementation
• light therapy
• make your home brighter – open curtains/blinds, even windows if its not too cold out
• get outside – walk, eat lunch, even on cloudy days it can help revitalize you
• regular exercise
• normalize your sleep patterns – try to wake up and go to bed the same time every day, avoid naps
• socialize – even if its just phoning a good friend to catch up or vent
• manage your stress – yoga, mediation, making lists, asking for help
• self care – anything that brings you joy (crafts, reading, hot bath, manicure)
• take a trip – if you can, going somewhere warmer and sunnier can get you out of the funk
• psychotherapy/counselling
• medication – prescribed by a doctor

I hope this helps someone. Depression is not an easy thing to live with. Just keep taking one step at a time because we need your beautiful face and soul in this world.

*Please do not hesitate to visit your doctor or a qualified counsellor/therapist regarding your mental health and this form of depression.

What are some ‘self care’ things you enjoy? Basically… WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

Take care,

xoxo Amy