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Five ways to combat symptoms of seasonal depression

Darker days and colder weather can leave many people feeling fatigued and less interested in normally enjoyable activities.

Editor's note: The above video is from Nov. 2, 2020.

Whether you know it as "the winter blues" or by its technical name, "Seasonal Affective Disorder," (SAD), feelings of fatigue or loss of interest in social activities affect wide swaths of people during the fall and winter months. 

With Daylight Saving Time ending on Nov. 7 and pushing back the sunset an hour, you may start to experience a shift in your mood as the sky loses a little bit of light every day. 

According to MayoClinic, SAD is a type of depression directly related to the change of seasons. While some rare cases of SAD occur in the spring and summer months, the vast majority of people who experience symptoms of it struggle during the fall and winter. The most common symptoms are feeling depressed and sluggish, having low energy, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, unhealthy eating habits, difficulty concentrating, and losing interest in everyday activities. 

Medical experts encourage anyone feeling frequent and debilitating SAD symptoms to talk to a doctor or therapist rather than brushing them off as a mere seasonal funk. If you find yourself sleeping or eating much more or less than normal, turning to alcohol for relief, or feeling hopeless or suicidal, you should seek out medical help. 

However, there are some ways to combat general feelings of sadness and lack of motivation that offer both seasonal and often lifelong health benefits. 

1. Make time for social activities: Studies show loneliness and depression are closely related. Plus, darker and colder days can make getting out of the house to socialize even more grueling. Try to prioritize social activities and make time for friends and family by meeting up at a local park, going out to dinner, or trying something new like a cooking class or unique outdoor activity. Even if you cannot meet someone in person, connect with your loved ones over Facetime, Zoom, or another video call software. 

2. Stay on schedule: Falling back an hour can also mean falling out of a predictable light schedule. Therefore, ending Daylight Saving Time can easily throw off sleep patterns and mood. A simple way to cope with this is to stick to a dedicated sleep schedule, a habit proven to improve mood all year long. 

Be patient and incrementally adjust your sleep schedule by about 15 minutes a day until you reach the time you want to go to bed every night. Not sleeping in and waking up at the same time each morning is equally as important as the time you go to sleep, too. 

While regulating a sleep schedule requires a fair amount of self discipline, consistency in sleep can not only combat seasonal depression, but long-term health risks like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 

3. Exercise often: One of the most recommended tactics for combating depression in the winter and all year long is exercise. Moving not only releases endorphins into the body, but it can also help with the weight gain many experience as a result of SAD. Outdoor exercise is thought to be the most effective for mood-boosting, but regular trips to the gym or at-home workouts are just as beneficial to mental health. Plus, it never hurts to bundle up and take a short walk through the snow. 

4. Consider buying a light box: A light, or phototherapy, box is a specific kind of lamp that simulates outdoor light in order to lift someone's mood and ease depressive symptoms. 

But does this light therapy actually work? 

According to MayoClinic, University of Michigan Health, and the University of British Columbia (UBC), the answer is yes. In fact, UBC's Department of Psychiatry says "as little as 30 minutes per day of sitting under a specially-designed light device results in significant improvement in 60% to 70% of SAD patients." 

Multiple different kinds of lamps exist for treating SAD, and medical experts suggest researching multiple options or talking to an expert before purchasing one. However, light boxes that provide exposure to 10,000 lux of light and emit as little UV light as possible are the most recommended. Once you have your light box, try keeping it on for about 20-30 minutes after waking up in the morning as you get ready for the day.

5. Transition your habits early: Whether you try out all of these tips or just one, start making it a habit now. Beginning to implement regular exercise, socializing, or light therapy into your routine while the days are a bit brighter and warmer will make it much easier to keep up with the habit when outside conditions become gloomy.  

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