Seasonal Affective Disorder - more than just the winter blues

Tomorrow is the winter solstice. For people like me who are sensitive to daylight, this is a highlight in the year. It marks a turning point in the calendar, where sunlight begins to trump darkness, insignificantly at first, but with increasing momentum by February/March. Don't get me wrong, I'm not incredibly keen on summer as such - I adore the sunlight and brightness but detest the sticky temperatures. Spring is probably my favourite month, probably something to do with being born in April. Everything just seems so refreshed and revived and reborn in the Spring months.

The Guardian published an article on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) a few days ago, (http://bit.ly/1ISCBH7) which tried to distinguish the difference between having SAD or simply being miserable because it's winter. To be honest, I was expecting more from the article. The paragraphs seemed very stilted and "The Solutions" (as termed by the author) were basically: Problems with melatonin? Increase your serotonin! It mentioned light therapy, CBT or anti-depressants, but did say that these methods didn't have enough evidence to prove it's effectiveness to its credit in one sense - but then where were the helpful solutions if the information the author was giving was redundant? The reference to outdoor exercising and increasing your exposure to daylight was helpful, but I felt the article was left wanting.

So I quickly cobbled together my own personal experience of SAD and hit comment, not expecting anything; but I think it resonated with the readers, because not long after it had received 182 recommends, and 26 comments. I thought it might be helpful for other people to share it on here, be it sufferers or potential sufferers who may not even be aware they have SAD (as I once was).

I have suffered with SAD in winters gone by, but was unfortunately too young to have even known that there was a name and a condition for that awful depth of despair the darker months would bring...

This winter has been the first time that I've actually almost enjoyed the colder season for what it is. I long for spring/summer, but have to accept that winter exists. The best thing to do is try and manage it.

What works for me:
1) Getting at least SOME daylight, be it a quick round the block if I'm pushed for time, or swapping public transport for walking during daily errands to and from places.

2) I've been exercising at the gym about 4-5 times a week since October, and the endorphin boost I get during and after each run not only lifts my mood, but depletes my adrenaline/cortisol levels, thus banishing my anxiety. I feel almost sedated afterwards, I'm so calm. Exercise, be it indoors or outdoors makes me feel a sense of acheivement and gives me a focus, too, which is essential for the days when getting out of bed or completing the smallest task feels like too much.

3) Food - I know it's coming up to Christmas but eating relatively well has certainly made my mental health feel better. I don't feel sluggish or deficient in any nutrients or vitamins, and know that what I put in my body will also nourish my mind, too.

4) Create a checklist of all the amazing things you'll be doing once the New Year begins, from January through to August. Have something to look forward to each month. I've got two gigs in Jan and Feb to get excited about and distract me from feeling down :)

5) Draw a big fat red circle around 'Sunday 21st December 2014' on your calendar, and count down the days until the Winter Solstice - because it all gets better from then on, slowly but surely!

I think the key thing here is managing SAD as opposed to trying to find an all-out cure for it. SAD always reminds me of how we are essentially animals, controlled by hormones and rhythms, one of them being our circadian rhythm. The relentless darkness can actually make my sleeping worse, because, teamed with the low daylight hours, it messes up my serotonin/melatonin levels. I associate light with wakefulness, and dark with sleepiness, and this is problematic - because when there are roughly 16 hours of darkness as we near the solstice, I find it hard to settle down and rest. "Oh, if I can't sleep now, it's okay, it'll still be dark in a few hours time, I'll sleep then" I tell myself. And so the pattern of bad sleeping begins.

It probably has something to do with workload as well. For the past three winters my holidays have been filled with work and stress as I revised for exams in the hope of getting into university. I am at university now, and all is well, but I'm still learning and trying to find new ways to manage it. This is especially important as my workload is at its highest point it's ever been in my life. I think I'm nearly there. I have found the transition into the darker months delightful instead of despairing, and I can't complain really, as it was still practically Autumn right up until mid-late November.

The irony of this little acronym is that it so succintly sums up the way we predominantly feel about winter - but it doesn't have to be that way. Small, slow steps of managing it on a daily basis will bring you past the Winter Solstice in no time, and before you know it, it's February and we can start getting excited about Spring. On second thoughts, perhaps that last reference only applies to me...

I'll finish with some pretty pictures of a winter morning sky, as seen from my window:

I love how the streaks of intense white light are covered by daubs of moody grey. If a picture was ever a metaphor for SAD, this is it!

I couldn't post a sunrise picture without a sunset one. The gradient sky is enchantingly beautiful. I'm so lucky to have such a lovely view from my room.