How to Cope with Seasonal Depression (SADD)
Watching the seasons change can be a beautiful experience for many people. It can bring excitement as the leaves change from green to vibrant reds and yellows. It helps us look forward to something new and exciting. It can also give us moments to reflect back on the previous year and all that is to come.
However, for many people, the changing of seasons is not always the best time of the year. For some, it’s a time when their mood changes as quickly as the weather. While many people associate seasonal depression with wintertime, it can occur at any point in the year. In a previous blog post, we explored why seasonal depression occurs with each new season.
Knowing why something happens is one thing, but the real question many people wonder is how can you cope with seasonal depression?
Stick To Your Routine
Humans thrive when they know what to expect, and sticking to a routine can help someone feel more balanced overall. When you struggle with seasonal depression, setting a routine that you follow each day can help with the feelings of overwhelm and sadness.
Do your best every day to wake up and go to bed around the same time. Sleep is an important factor when it comes to our mental health and it will help keep your circadian rhythm on schedule. Give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. Whether it’s a bubble bath, reading a book, or listening to music, do little thing each day that bring you joy. While it may be tempting to veg out and watch TV all night to relax or scroll on your phone, limit the exposure you have to blue light as much as possible, which can interrupt your sleep cycle.
Invest In A Sunlight Lamp
One of the worst aspects of the fall and winter season is that many of us live in areas where there are more cloudy days than sunny ones. Lack of Vitamin D is correlated with worsening symptoms of depression or anxiety. Thankfully, we live in a world that helps to combat that through technologies such as sunlight lamps. Manufactured to mimic the sun, sunlight lamps are being widely recognized as an easy and inexpensive way to help with seasonal depression. Sit back, relax, and pretend you are on a warm sunny beach somewhere!Connect With Other People
Let’s face it, nobody wants to go out more than they need to during the wintertime. By extension, this normally means our face to face social time with friends and families is reduced. Thankfully, we live in a world where technology is all around us.
For those who deal with any type of depression, it’s common to want to isolate themselves from other people. If you ind that your seasonal depression causes this, you aren’t alone. While it can feel as if you are forcing yourself to do it, reach out to other people by phone or text. Even if you can’t see someone in person, we live in a period where connections can still happen just as easily. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone just to check-in on them
Reach Out For Support
Reaching out to a professional for support is not a sign of weakness. It is one of strength. We all struggle with inner battles that no one else can see. If you are tired of fighting your seasonal depression, don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about depression therapy. At SoulRise Psychotherapy, I am committed to helping each individual person feel their best and find a way to move forward.