How to Fight Seasonal Depression

The air is so cold and dry that it leaves your lips raw and chapped in the wind. The leaves have withered in the branches of your favorite tree. Even getting out of bed is a battle between the instinct to stay warm, and the necessity of doing crazy little things like working, eating, or using the bathroom. It’s wintertime, and that means many of us will be feeling sad for what seems like no reason at all. Seasonal depression is real, but its treatments are equally real. 

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.”

Carl Reiner

What Are The Main Causes of Seasonal Depression? 

During the coldest months of the year, we’re exposed to less sunlight, and generally spend more time indoors. For some, this might not seem like a huge deal, but as human beings, we start to get a little squirrely if we don’t get enough sunlight. You might start feeling symptoms as early as October, but they tend to peak in January and February, just as the winter season comes to a close. If you find yourself struggling with seasonal depression, remember this: it always seems darkest just before dawn.

How Do I Stop Being Depressed When The Weather Is Bad?

Fortunately, there are a lot of options for people who struggle with seasonal depression. The winter blues can feel inescapable, but you have tools at your disposal no matter what your resources, where you live, or what you’ve been through. 

• Stay Warm. The physical temperature of your surroundings can seriously impact your mental health. This study found that temperatures below fifty degrees fahrenheit were associated with low arousal negative emotions such as depression. By keeping your temperature in that sweet spot between sixty-eight degrees and eighty-six degrees fahrenheit, you can keep cozy even when its cold outside. 
• Prioritize Time In The Sun. As human beings, we must all reckon with the reality that we are feeble little creatures who rely on the sun for warmth, comfort, and stability. Even if we don’t consciously realize it, spending time in the sun is important for our psychological health. So next time you see the sun peeking out through the clouds, make it a point to stand in the sunlight (even if you have to brave the cold). 
• Get Cozy. Make your indoor environment as comfortable as possible. This is your time to hibernate, nest, and rest, so treat yourself! Take this winter as your opportunity to put on your cozy socks, redecorate, and make your home into exactly what you need right now. 

What Activities Can You Do To Help With Seasonal Depression?

So, let’s say you’ve tried all that. You’re keeping warm, having your time in the sun, and staying cozy, but you’re still depressed, and you want more direction. Integrative Counsel happens to have plenty of resources for anyone coping with seasonal depression.

• Art Therapy. Art therapy can activate your creative mind and open your eyes to the beauty around you, even in January and February. Art therapy is a coping tool that is accessible to you no matter what the weather looks like. 
• Set Intentions. The best way to chart a course for your future is by setting the right intentions. Whenever the future seems bleak, intention-setting is a great activity for restoring hope for a future that is impossible to fully predict. 
• Get In Touch With Your Body. In the bitter cold, the prospect of ignoring your body can be tempting. Wintertime can be highly overstimulating, and numbing out seems like an easy solution. But while that numbing out can help us in the short term when it comes to coping with the cold, it can also lead us down a path of low-energy wallowing. By befriending and paying attention to the sensations of your body, you can calmly accept the world around you even when its sending shivers down your spine. 

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

John Steinbeck

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Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.