January is one of the most intense cold-weather months of the year and for many people, this can lead to more time indoors and bored. These negative feelings can lead to increasing symptoms of depression. People who are already struggling with chronic mood symptoms will often feel worse during this dismal time of year. Many people report lower than average mood and overall feeling of wellbeing during the winter months. Additionally, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a common depressive disorder where people have symptoms primarily during the winter months and feel pretty good during the remainder of the year.

Girl sitting in a chair with her knees pulled to her chest looking out the window

Seasonal depression can be caused by many factors. There is evidence that suggests lack of sunlight leads to deficiency in Vitamin D, which promotes serotonin activity. Low serotonin levels can lead to depression. Other studies have suggested that low levels of melatonin are responsible for the winter blues. Melatonin regulates our sleep-wake cycles and can cause depressive symptoms related to energy and fatigue.

During these pandemic times, winter can be especially challenging. Cases are up due to the Omicron variant, as well as the colder weather forcing people indoors, where the virus can spread more quickly. At this point, many are fed up with the COVID restrictions and craving a return to normalcy. This exasperation and chronic stress of the past two years will likely make symptoms of SAD and other depressive disorders worse than ever before. It also makes it somewhat more challenging to treat, because standard recommendations to socialize and engage with others are not as easily attainable due to the public health concerns. People are forced to be more creative with their alone time to find ways to try to increase their level of happiness and life satisfaction.

Man sitting on a brown leather couch with his head in his hand

Common symptoms of SAD include but are not limited to:

Daytime fatigue
Constant sad or depressed mood
Loss of interest in activities that are usually enjoyable
Feeling worthless, guilty, or useless
Sleeping much later than usual
Craving carbs and/or sweets
Weight Gain
Loss of Interest in Sex
Suicidal Thoughts

Back of person in black pants, a blue jacket, and orange backpack snowsnowing in the mountains

Try these tips to help manage the winter blues:

Try to get outside for some fresh air and sunshine for a few minutes each day. Since the scenery can be dreary in many places, find a few favorite spots that are enjoyable and rotate between them.
Join a January challenge - many people are looking for a community to help practice healthy habits in the new year. Get your inspiration and support from others!
Start a new book or TV series - if you have to be stuck inside more often, try to introduce new entertainment choices for yourself
Attending therapy can be a great place to learn new skills for coping with mood symptoms and exploring ways to manage the behavioral symptoms of depression - for example, clients can work on improving sleep hygiene in therapy or engaging in intuitive eating processes to reduce winter induced weight gain
Light therapy - or use of a light box can be helpful. This simple treatment involves sitting in front of a light box daily for 30-45 minutes. The artificial light is thought to stimulate the brain into producing vitamin D
Medications can also be helpful in dealing with seasonal depression - SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, etc) and extended release bupropion (Aplenzin) are commonly prescribed to help reduce symptoms

Thankfully, SAD is a common mental health concern that many of our RI therapists feel comfortable treating, as it does not require significant specialization or intensive training. With more and more people being open to going to therapy, it’s a great time to start! Then when the spring rolls around, you will be far along on your healing journey and ready to get back out into the world that’s warming up and calling for your return:)

The Winter Blues