Managing the Winter Blues

Now that Autumn is in full swing, and with the shorter, darker days drawing in, its not uncommon to feel down, tired and irritable.

While some people experience subtle changes to their mood and energy levels during the change of seasons, others suffer debilitating symptoms that cause disruption to their daily routine. Such symptoms include feelings of low mood and energy, worthlessness, difficulty concentrating and social withdrawal. If you’ve ever experienced these symptoms during a change in seasons, you’ve likely experienced seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? 

Otherwise referred to as the ‘winter depression’, SAD is most prominent during the autumn and winter months and tends to lift by spring or early summer. It’s onset is linked to the lack of natural light during the shorter days of the year, where hormone levels of serotonin (the mood hormone) and melatonin (the sleep hormone) are disrupted in the brain, causing a delay in the body’s circadian rhythm. As such, our mood, sleep and appetite can be negatively affected.

What can I do to help?

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, treatment for SAD can vary. However, there are small changes you can make to your daily routine to help ease the symptoms:

1. Get some more light in your life 

Although the symptoms of SAD can make you feel unmotivated to do anything other than hibernate, making sure to increase your exposure to natural sunlight can have a big impact on your mood.

Whether it’s as simple as opening the blinds, sitting by a window or taking five minutes to get some fresh air during your lunch break, filtering in small doses of light throughout the shorter days will help boost your levels of serotonin.

2. Be mindful of what you eat

One of the symptoms associated with SAD is the craving for sugar and simple carbohydrates, which when consumed, only leads to further cravings and low energy levels. Instead, try to moderate a healthy, balanced diet rich in natural sugar and complex carbs such as whole grains, vegetables, beans and legumes to help keep you going.

3. Get moving 

Exercising can be hard during the cold, dark days of the Autumn/Winter months. However, the natural release of endorphins from physical activity and it’s ability to regulate sleep is a reason to consider hitting the gym. Squeezing in some outdoor exercise during the lighter hours of the day is a great opportunity to soak up some natural sunlight.

4. Talk about it 

Whether you feel comfortable speaking to family and friends about your symptoms, or if you think support from a professional might help, reducing social isolation is key when experiencing the symptoms of SAD. You might also be surprised to realise how many others may be experiencing the same as you.