For anyone who doesn’t know, SADs is Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to the America Family Physician, about 4 to 6 percent of people may have winter depression. Another 10 to 20 percent may have mild SAD. Though these are low percentages, we cannot ignore them. Due to the reduced amount of sunlight The Mayo Clinic reported that the decrease in sunlight can disrupt the body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression. Furthermore, there may be a drop in serotonin, which is a brain chemical that affects mood. Additionally, the change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin which is important when it comes to sleep patterns, as well as mood.
Life is too short not to be happy, but sometimes the monsters we thought were just under the bed, are actually in our head. Especially around this time of year, when it gets colder, when there is less sunlight, when there is lull before the holidays all start, a sense of sadness seems to consume me. And though life may be peachy keen, or seem that way, there may not be a rhyme or reason to the sadness. And because I and others suffering from a mental illness cannot explain it, we try and mask our sadness with a smile because explaining it to others seems worse. This fear of revealing our mental illnesses to the world is because of the stigma that surrounds them.
One way to somehow try to explain depression is that it’s like being homesick but not knowing where home is. Some days we just need to loved louder than others. Many days we will smile and go through the motions. Other days, we just want to hide under the covers and hibernate for days. We know we’ll be ok, but life is a constant roller coaster with really low lows that we can’t seem to kick. I admit, I have my really great days and my worst days. However, I know that there are some simple things that I can do that will help me to be happier daily. Sometimes the “littlest steps” have the biggest impact.
Some ways that I have tried to overcome SADs and reduce my anxiety and depression is by exercising, using a happy light, aromatherapy, journaling in the company of wonderful smelling seasonal candles, cleaning, and mostly keeping myself busy so my thoughts don’t have time to consume me. It doesn’t hurt to go to counseling either. Sometimes we all need our own unbiased cheerleader; someone who doesn’t completely know our past and won’t (at least out loud) judge us for having the “issues” we are labeled with. Lastly, in general for overall well-being it is so important to practice healthy habits, including following a well-balanced diet, reducing stress where you can, and getting enough sleep. We only get one body, so why not treat it the best that we can!
Whether you are impacted by mental illness in one way or another, perhaps just going through a rough patch, or perhaps just trying to understand it, I encourage you to try and lead the best life that you can. We all have a purpose, and we were meant to do just more than go through the motions. No matter how hard getting out of bed is, I dare you to plant your feet on the ground as soon as your alarm goes off, and do something that excites you! Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Don’t waste time with menusha.
I will leave you with the following words that the author Becca lee once wrote, “The purpose of this glorious life is not simply to endure it, but to soar, stumble, and flourish as you learn to fall in love with existence. We were born to live my dear not to merely exist.”
