Seasonal Depression and How To Beat It

After all the holiday excitement and the celebration of a new year, the gloomy winter months that follow seem to get everyone down. If you find yourself in a rut this time of year, you are not alone! Seasonal Depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that occurs seasonally and generally gets better in spring and summer. Though experts are unsure what exactly causes SAD, links have been made to a lack of sunlight and disruption to our “biological clock”.

Seasonal depression symptoms generally decrease as days lengthen and the weather improves but we have pulled together some simple tips to incorporate into your daily life until we reach the light at the end of the dark winter tunnel.

Light Exposure

This may seem obvious but one of the easiest way to combat seasonal depression is to get outside in the few hours of day light available. Regular work schedules may make this difficult but take the opportunity on lunch breaks and weekends to get outside and into that natural light. Getting at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day helps regulate sleep patterns which is closely linked to maintaining good mental health.

Vitamin D Supplement

Though still a topic of research, low levels of vitamin D and depression have been linked. Vitamin D is used in many brain processes and receptors have been found in the area of the brain associated with depression. Varying on location, those living north of the 40th parallel may miss up to 6 months of vitamin D production in winter. Current Vitamin D intake recommendation are between 800IU to 4000IU per day. This is equivalent to 10-15 minutes of sun exposure 3 times per week - longer if you are wearing SPF. If you live in a place that does not have enough sunny days to allow for that length of exposure, consider supplementing with Vitamin D tablets or drops.

Exercise

“At its core, depression is defined by an absence of moving towards anything, and exercise is the way to divert those negative signals and trick the brain into coming out of hibernation.” - John J. Ratey, Spark

Regular exercises is one of the best things you can go for overall health but being active during the day, especially in the morning, can help with SAD symptoms. Moderate exercise (any activities that raise your heart rate) and weight training at least twice a week can raise energy levels and help you feel less depressed. Not only does exercise help with sleep cycles, it helps to regulate all the neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressants; boosting endorphins and dopamine, so get your body moving!

Though these are research based lifestyle modification to improvement mental health, if you are ever concerned about your symptoms or severity of depression affecting you, please seek advise from your health care provider.

Research and Resources:

• HealthLinkBC - Seasonal Affective Disorder

• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain - John J. Ratey, MD

• Understanding Nutrition, First Canadian Edition. Whitney, Rolfes, Hammond & Piche (2012)

• Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2013)

• Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker, PhD