Are you suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder — slammed by seasonal sadness — dulled, down and depressed as gray wintry days drag on?
I admit to a bout of the blues, to a spell of sullen silence, to seasonal sluggishness that brings negativity nibbling at my edges, compromising my capacity to remain upbeat.
I’m feeling sad.
Seasonally sad.
I also know that when I’m sleep deprived, in a post-holiday slump, and subject to January’s dark doldrums, seasonal depression is likely to have a hand in the mix. And this, despite living in a milder climate than where I grew up.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
WebMD describes the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or if you prefer, Seasonal Depression, as follows:
… sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious… [losing] interest in your usual activities… crav[ing] carbohydrates… [gaining] weight… feel tired… trouble concentrating…
“Oh, that’s every type of depression,” you might say. For example — when your kids are worrying you sick, when loneliness lingers after empty nest, when you’re worn out looking for a new job, when your love life is lackluster… with no sizzle or spice in sight.
Well, no. Not exactly.
SAD occurs at the same time of year, in multiple consecutive years, and not as the result of situational factors. As the WebMD resource reports, doctors believe SAD is tied to Circadian rhythms and sunlight.
And incidentally, SAD affects more women than men.
Do We All Suffer Winter Doldrums?
Many of you are digging out from a major blizzard — two feet of snow, your cities recovering, and more days to come before normal schedules resume. And, you can look forward to continuing cold and inclement weather.
I recall my New England and Mid-Atlantic years all too well, and the winters are the primary reason I eventually headed south.
Nevertheless, after what seems like weeks of gray skies, then freezing rain, then sleet, then more gray — a far cry from northern winters — I find myself immeasurably grateful for the sun that has risen in the sky, and the light flooding through my window.
And speaking of light… I’m aware of my desire to hibernate when I’m deprived of its magic. While I may attempt to combat any sluggishness with earlier bedtimes, that doesn’t necessarily deliver more sleep.
Those fewer zzzzs?
They’re Big Bad News, bringing more snacking, more LBs, and feeling down down down as I set aside the skinny jeans…
SAD, So Sad
Seasonal Affective Disorder is not something I thought about when I lived in the Cold Cold Northeast more than 20 years ago. Then, typically by mid-March, I felt as if each hour of every bitter and gloomy day was squeezing the life out of me.
Every effort to remain energized felt futile and exhausting.
The depression was weighty. And ultimately, predictable.
Most years, I pinched my pennies in order to send myself off to a beach in Florida for a week where I could rest, swim, and read in the sunshine. All I needed was that handful of days, and the benefits of that break helped me through the next months.
It was years later that I learned of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and wondered if I suffered from it, at least to a degree. I rarely spoke of my depression during that period; the stigma against admitting sadness was well entrenched, and I daresay, for most of us, it still is.
Make Way for Moody Blues
When I relocated to a region with shorter winters, the annual blues all but disappeared. Yet occasionally, and especially if combined with other concerns, I feel the downward pull that I believe is in part a matter of lessened light.
This sadness?
Some of it is, admittedly, situational. (Life rarely leaves us with nothing challenging to process.)
This is also a time of year when many of us embark on new starts in a number of ways. Invariably, beginnings often require that we face our failings as we work through endings. This process may tap into troublesome triggers and tug at fragile heartstrings.
When my emotions are working overtime? When I have things on my mind?
Sleep goes missing, with or without a shortage of daylight. And then, disciplined eating routines run amuck.
Is this aggravated by gray skies? Or more so, winter’s ability to compromise mood-elevating exercise?
Rx for SADness
Since flying off to a tropical paradise for the worst of winter isn’t in the cards for most of us — nice concept though, isn’t it? — whereas some prescribe light-box therapy, a recent study suggests that talk therapy achieves better results.
My personal prescription?
Fresh air (brrrrr), even if only briefly. Natural light, whenever the sky brightens. Proper sleep, to the extent that it’s possible. Exercise — of any sort, — even if that means walking in circles inside my little house.
What else?
Avoiding the quick-fix sugar hits, knowing they lead to more troubles than they’re worth.
Getting rid of the dirty dishes in the sink? That could work wonders! (Any takers with a pair of yellow gloves?)
- Does everything feel harder in winter?
- Snowy climes aside, do you think it’s due to the impacts of less light?
- What do you do to brighten things up? More colorful clothing? A case of good wine?
- When’s the last time you ran off to a beach — just for yourself?
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I have to admit that a string of gray days can take a toll. I may not really notice just one, but after two or three, the dullness and weightiness definitely is a factor.
Like most, probably, my first step is to open all the shades and turn on all the lights. Generally speaking, I just try to force myself to do *something*, as I find that activity in and of itself is its own reward, at least for me. It is interesting that you mentioned dishes, as they were my first experience with this. In college I often found myself stuck in the house with no place to go, no money to find a place to go, and a sink full of dishes. I found that I actually got some sense of accomplishment from simply doing the work, simple as that was. I still find that the just doing something (anything I can stand, and that will eventually need to be done) is helpful. That task doesn’t have to be the most important, immediately useful, or even particularly pleasurable – as long what I’m doing ultimately has value I feel I’ve not wasted time, and bettered my life in at least some small way. For example, I would normally greatly dislike reviewing insurance benefits statements, but it serves as a good enough distraction on an ugly day.
If I can find things to do outside, I will. Like the insurance statements, shopping and errands aren’t something I particularly enjoy normally, but on a dull day I like being in brightly lit stores and with other people. Walking can be quite a picker-upper if it isn’t too cold. When it is just cold enough, I get some pleasure in both leaving and returning to the warm house.
Some almost unbearable times have shown me that being at the beach, even just sitting in a vegetative state, is a very effective stress reliever. I’ve been told that the frequency of lapping waves is the same as the “alpha” frequency which the mind reaches in deep meditation, which seems very plausible given the relaxation effect. Unfortunately, here (the Texas Gulf Coast) overcast in the city usually translates to uncomfortably windy and chilly at the beach an hour away.
I appreciate your reminder, though. Fall is just a blip here, so we usually find it hard to find the perfect time between it’s-too hot-and-crowded, and we’re-too-busy, we forgot, now-it’s-too-cold. Maybe this year we can be more pro-active.
Lapping waves, Robert. What a lovely image! Your experience of taking action is an excellent reminder. You’re quite right. DOING something helps. Speaking of which, I cleared my sink of dishes last night. 🙂
I, too, like the idea of those lapping waves mentioned above! Oh, that it were possible!
Gray, sunless days most certainly take a toll on me as do the shorter days. Already, I notice the sun setting slightly later and it has me anticipating spring and a garden. Sometimes it helps me to dream a little, or to browse gardening catalogs.
Most essentially, I have to keep moving outdoors, whenever possible. I like the reminder to accomplish something – anything – as I do find satisfaction in being productive. Also, it helps me to intentionally notice what IS working: warm coffee, candles, extra snuggles with my loved ones, slower pace of this season in general. Then I can attempt to appreciate it while still looking forward to brighter days.
PS – the WORST is having to walk our three dogs out in the cold, gray precipitation! I do not like it at all, but we do not have a fenced yard. Booo!-
I HAVE IT TOO!!!!!!
For me I READ……….. sip hot water………….. and LOOK for the BLUE SKY!
I know I’m in CALIFORNIA where we seldom have gray skies for many days in a row………….. but lately A LOT of RAIN and rain does the same thing to me!
DO you have indoor malls…….. where you could get a hot chocolate and walk……………..
I recently thanks to SANDRA SALLIN have put MOVES on my phone. ALARMING HOW MUCH I DO NOT WALK!!!!!!!
I do go to REFORMER CLASS…………. but walking is NOT HIGH on my list!
HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET ME TO WALK MORE???
XX
How about a walking buddy, Contessa?
Having lived n cold northern regions I was not affected when was younger . I was affected by SAD when I was older. I found that exercise, vitamin D and regular sleep pattern helped