The temperature drops, the layers increase and you find the colder weather a great excuse to climb under the covers and binge watch your favorite shows, but how do you know when a seasonal slump is becoming a problem?
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year.
If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer."
SAD symptoms often appear during late fall or early winter and often go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer.
Some of the symptoms of SAD include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having low energy
- Having problems with sleeping
- Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
While Seasonal Affective Disorder can leave you feeling hopeless, there are some tips for managing SAD till the warmer weather rolls around.
Tips for managing SAD:
- Aromatherapy: Essential oils can influence the area of the brain that is responsible for controlling moods and the body's internal clock that influences sleep and appetite. Adding a few drops of essential oil to your bath or a bit on your neck can help you relax.
- Get Moving: Like other forms of depression, exercise can help promote a variety of positive changes in the brain including neural growth, reducing inflammation and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. Exercising can also help with the weight gain that is common with SAD.
- Get Outside: While it's sometimes hard, getting outside and taking advantage of the sunshine can be beneficial when dealing with SAD. Bundle up and try to get outside around noon and take a walk for as long as the cold will allow to soak up some sun and breathe that fresh air. Also when you're indoors, it's helpful to leave your blinds open and let in as much natural light as possible.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is not easy to manage. On those dark days it is easy to feel helpless, but try to remember that this is only temporary and it will get better and brighter.
