What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

When you Google SAD, a number of things come up- medical websites are usually some of the first results you’ll find. What you might discover is that all of them pretty much say the same things. Seasonal Affective Disorder occurs when a person begins to feel sad nearly every day, loses interest in activities that once brought them joy, and experiences low energy. People with SAD may also have difficulty concentrating, feel worthless or unmotivated, and in some cases, experience thoughts of not wanting to live.

You might be asking yourself, “Isn’t that just depression?”. The answer is a little bit more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”. Though many of the symptoms of SAD and depression overlap, the key distinguishing factor is that SAD is seasonal, whereas Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is more persistent and ongoing. Those who experience MDD tend to have symptoms all year round, whereas those who experience SAD symptoms tend to see them more in the winter months. 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that whenever it starts getting dark at 5pm, temperatures drop, and everything that was growing and blooming begins to die, that many start to experience sadness. It happens to many of us almost every year: holiday stress, things freezing over, changes in routine, and even being less active all add up. All of a sudden, we start to wonder why we feel so down. The reality is more scientific than many of us like to believe. Our mental health is linked to our diet, our stress levels, our environment, and even how much sunshine we have been experiencing. 

So, what do we do whenever it has been days since we have gotten to go outside, we haven’t seen our friends in over two weeks, and it seems like the sun has taken a vacation? What if I told you that there are some small and simple things that we can do to fight back the SAD whenever it catches us off guard. Here are three suggestions we can slowly start to implement into our daily routine that can help care for ourselves during these seasonal changes.

First, getting outside can be hugely beneficial for us. Whether it’s sledding or scraping the driveway, even small ways to get out of the house gets our blood flowing and provides opportunities for us to get some extra vitamin D. It might sound counterintuitive but moving actually can help us fight fatigue, and sometimes just getting out and walking once a day can help us prevent some of those not so fun SAD symptoms mentioned above. 

Second, finding ways to connect can be crucial in times where it is hardest to get out and about with friends and family. Scheduling indoor playdates, going on “winter walks” with friends, and even things such as a “family game night” can both help us notice one another’s bids for connection “link”, and make a choice to engage versus disengage. The cold and the snow is a magic combination for our minds to want to be still, veg out, and isolate. 

Lastly, one of the key ways that we can combat those SAD symptoms is with “creating”. Many of us during COVID-19 dabbled in hobbies we might have never tried before due to boredom and lack of options. When we start to take action against SAD, we start to do things that energize us. From drawing to bread making, our minds naturally get dopamine from doing things that we feel proud of. So the next time that your brain feels as if it is being pulled towards “doomscrolling” on social media, remind yourself that there is another option. Dust off that guitar, teach yourself to crochet – start that new habit you felt like you never had time to learn. 

When we replace the “mindless” dopamine trap with a less toxic and more rewarding version, it leaves us feeling confident and motivated instead of anxious or sad. The beauty of the “healthy habits” is that it is different for everyone. The more of these things that you can do at the same time, the better. When you are able to get outside, connect with others, and start rewarding yourself with those “healthy” dopamine hits, we begin to feel the opposite of SAD: connected, positive, and hopeful.

Written By
Tyler Linton
Marriage & Family Therapy Associate