Can I tell ya’ll the truth? This is a safe place right?

As much as I love seeing burgundy and forest green leaves on the trees and layering my wardrobe, I loathe when the season starts to transition into fall and winter. It’s always pretty difficult for me honestly. As soon as it starts getting dark around 4:30 PM and it starts to get chillier, I start to feel sad. From waking up to no sunlight and trying to beat the sun home by 5, I feel a little less motivated the first few weeks of this transition.

I’m not special in feeling this way. It’s actually very common. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. This typically happens late fall and early winter and goes away in spring and summer.

Medlineplus.gov says that some of the symptoms include sadness, gloomy outlook, feeling hopeless, worthless, and irritable, lost of interest or pleasure in activities you would normally enjoy, low energy, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, carbohydrate cravings and weight gain, and thoughts of death or suicide.

It can be difficult pulling yourself out of the funk that the season change brings, but it’s absolutely possible to manage and not feel miserable. If you experience this also, continue reading to find out tips to make this transition easier.

Take a Vitamin D Supplement

Vitamin D levels can be lowered when you’re not getting enough sunlight. Vitamin D is often referenced as the “Sunshine Pill” because it is a hormone precursor. Low levels of Vitamin D and depression have been linked in many different studies. Before taking any supplement, you should consult with your doctor. Many times when going for general physicals, your blood is drawn and your Vitamin D levels are examined, but if you’re not sure, you should ask your doctor to check it for you.

Maintain Exercise Routine (or start one)

Movement is so important for our vitality. Exercise is usually recommended for those who suffer from depression and can be just as helpful with SAD. At least 30 minutes of exercise daily can help offset the side effects of seasonal depression.

Counseling

Everyone can always benefit from counseling and it’s especially helpful when you’re dealing with SAD. While SAD can cause feelings and thoughts that we don’t want, it can also help us find blindspots or issues that we’ve been bypassing and actually get a better understanding of it. Counseling can provide you with tools to help control your feelings and mood better.

Control Your Mood Through Your Diet

Research shows that your gut health is related to your mood. Personally it can be difficult for me to eat healthy as it gets colder because I start craving fatty foods (hello banana nut bread from Starbucks). Drinking a green smoothie or fruit smoothie in the morning can help with your intake of natural foods and can also offset your cravings.

Light Therapy

Part of the reason why you’re experiencing SAD in the first place is because of the lack of light, so doing light therapy can be very helpful. There are actually light therapy boxes that you can purchase or you can get sunlight light bulbs. However you can, it is important to get as much sunlight as possible.

Try Essential Oils

Aromatherapy can help aid depression as the chemicals in essential oils can trigger smell receptors that impact your mood. Some specific oils that are effective are lavender, chamomile, bergamot, clary sage, and rose. You can benefit from essential oils by creating or buying room sprays or adding a few drops in an oil diffuser. I love to make my own lavender spray for my pillows before bed to help me relax. When I need to find motivation and be productive, I add several drops of clary sage and bergamot to my oil diffuser.

Spend Time with Family and Friends

It’s impossible to stay sad when you’re around people you love. If you are, they’re bound to ask you what’s wrong, which can lead you to the help you need. Being with my family and friends always boosts my mood almost immediately. Oxytocin is very powerful. Unfortunately with COVID we aren’t able to touch a lot of people like we used to, but if you’ve been quarantined with your family or friends, getting a hug can do wonders to your mood. And if you can’t touch them, try to enjoy the time that you are able to spend with them.

Other sources would also suggest talking to your doctor about antidepressants and other treatments that may help, but personally, using all or some of the methods listed above has helped me tremendously. Of course, you always have to do what’s best for you. I don’t believe that depression is something you should ignore. Once you start to recognize a pattern of sad feelings, you should reach out to someone as soon as you can and/or start some of these tips. While SAD usually can disappear on it’s own once the season changes again, taking action and accountability for your own happiness can impact your life in positive ways. Remember that you are not alone in this, and eventually, the season has to change.

Thanks for reading!