It’s that time of year again. When the air gets colder and the wasps get bolder, when the sun goes away and the clouds come to stay, when the holidays come alive and families gather and thrive… or at least we hope they do. A change is in the air, and I’m not just talking about the freezing temperatures. Our moods change, our sleep/wake cycles change, our workloads, both professional and academic, change. The climate may be colder, but the proverbial heat is on, and so we must dress for the weather, and for the occasion.
During the wintertime, this all can negatively affect our mood, but it can also lead to the development of a mental illness called seasonal affective disorder, appropriately abbreviated as SAD. This condition is similar to depression, but only comes during the fall and winter months and, thankfully, leaves when spring arrives. It’s also possible to develop SAD at the onset of summer and recover during the fall and winter, but this is less common. The average age of onset for SAD is 18 to 30, which happens to be the same age that many of us students are.
Experts believe this condition is directly caused by the reduced amount of daylight during the fall and winter months. When our eyes observe daylight, our brains produce more serotonin, which can make us feel happier. When daylight fades and night falls, darkness can trigger the release of melatonin, which signals that it’s time for sleep. The result is that we have less energy during the day, and we are compelled to go to sleep earlier.
One must be mindful of how these patterns can spiral out of control. Less energy and more tiredness can make a person feel weaker and can negatively impact one’s self-esteem. Individuals may start to feel like their exercise routines aren’t leading to meaningful results because they feel more tired than usual. They may begin to feel like they’re lazy because they want to go to bed earlier. This can create a nasty positive-feedback loop, where negative thoughts lead to lower mood, which leads to worse thoughts, and worse mood, and so on.
People have been dealing with this seasonal change in mood for thousands of years; luckily, it’s now treatable. The primary and most effective treatment for SAD is light therapy. This is done by exposing oneself to sustained sources of bright light for a continuous period. This can be done in the morning by watching the sunrise for 15 to 30 minutes, or by purchasing a special, extremely bright lamp to use indoors in a similar fashion.
There’s an interesting theory that the symptoms of SAD developed in humans to confer an evolutionary advantage. Our bodies and brains may be wired to encourage us to hibernate in the wintertime, where being outside is more dangerous due to less light, and food yields are much lower. If there is any truth to this, it would certainly not be the only example of us having to deal with out-of-date evolutionary traits. It’s important that we’re gentle with ourselves then, and that we tend to our inescapable biological needs.
Nearly one third of Canadians have insufficient levels of vitamin D in our bodies, and around 10 percent of us are vitamin D deficient. This wonderful little molecule is crucial for our bodies, as it’s required along with calcium to build stronger bones and teeth. We get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight and from the foods we eat, but because of the weather in Canada, especially during fall and winter, our bodies don’t get enough. Vitamin D has many benefits, not the least of which is that it strengthens and supports the immune system.
We all know what it feels like to get sick, and it isn’t fun. As the weather gets colder, viruses and pathogens become more active, and more people will come down with the cold or flu. This is also the reason why we develop fever and chills when we’re sick, as our bodies raise their temperatures to try and eliminate the cold advantage that disease-causing viruses have in the winter. If we are deficient in vitamin D, our immune systems will be weaker at precisely the time we need them to be at their strongest.
During winter, people spend much more time indoors, and in close physical proximity to their families and loved ones. This can lead to even more spreading of viruses and sickness, especially at large gatherings like holiday parties. Many people consider this an acceptable risk, as there is much good cheer to be had in each other’s company, and some people’s best memories are created during the holiday season. For some, however, this is not the case, and instead of being a celebration involving joyous traditions, it translates into a train wreck.
For some, setting up decorations, planning dinners and gatherings, driving in wintery conditions, and the stress of spending extra money on presents can take its toll. Many people struggle to handle stress, and so their loved ones end up on the receiving end of this turmoil, which can be especially hard for children to bear. This is a truly unfortunate phenomenon, as we would never want to hurt our loved ones—especially not our children—and yet we often end up hurting them the most.
Spending time with family and loved ones who support and respect you can be an excellent way to ward off the winter blues. Having a solid network of reliable people, or just a few close friends, can make all the difference when battling these depressing conditions. Feelings of warmth and trust promote the release of oxytocin and dopamine in our brains, which can counter symptoms of depression very effectively. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people this time of year, as more companionship may be just what they need right now.
Friends and family can help reduce the chance of burnout during this time of year. This is when a state of chronic exhaustion falls on us, and we can feel like even small increases in our workload are unbearable. We can become cynical, withdrawn, and irritable. It’s crucial that we surround ourselves with supportive people as they can spot the signs of burnout in us, sometimes even before we can.
Sometimes we want to reach out, but we fear that our loved ones are going through enough stress as it is, and adding more will only cause them to pull away. I’ve had this fear before, but I’ve always found the opposite to be true. Sharing our struggles with each other can lead to a sense of unity, bringing people closer together and making us all stronger. Those who love you will want to see you succeed, and they will be happy to help you do it. Remember to look out for each other.
If the changing of the leaves makes you feel dead inside, then you must have frolicked in lush forests and beautiful grassy fields. We must remember how fortunate we are to have had these cherished experiences, and we must have faith that we will bask in the sun once again.
Another way to ward off the winter blues is to have compassion for those who live in the southern hemisphere. Remember that when it is summer for us in the northern hemisphere, it is winter for everyone else, and vice versa. A not-insignificant portion of the human population, about 800-850 million people, live in the southern hemisphere, and these people deserve to experience the warmth and joys of spring and summer just as we do. By taking the burdens of autumn and winter onto ourselves, the rest of humanity can enjoy the seasons they have waited so long for. In the immortal words of Bob Marley, “The sun can’t shine every day.”
As we venture into the cold and dark months of deep fall and winter, let us always remember that as the seasons inevitably change, we change along with them. Let us draw warmth from the fires of our collective struggles, and endeavour to keep each other warm and close in body and spirit. Let us walk willingly into the snow and gloom and be happy for the rest of the world as they get to finally bask in the warmth and light of the sun. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that the dormancy and torpor of winter is not desolation and death, and that with patience and determination, the sun will rise, and shine on us once more, as it always has.