Living somewhere that has unpredictable seasons every year has taught me some things. And when I look at the snow outside, knowing that a couple days ago it was 60°F, I think about Seasonal Affective Disorder.

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What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD or Seasonal Depression, is a kind of depression that can occur during any season of the year. Although it seems to become most relevant during the Fall and Winter seasons, SAD happens for different people at different times. SAD is most common in the colder months of the year for a couple of reasons, one being that the days get shorter. With shorter days and little outside time, our brain can sneak into a kind of “mental hibernation”, causing depressive symptoms. With lack of sunshine also comes vitamin deficiency, which has a direct effect on our mental health. Check out my blog post about Vitamin Deficiency and Mental Health to learn more about how this works and what you can do. The symptoms of SAD, in any season, can look and feel very different depending on the person, or even the day. So how do you know if what your experiencing is SAD?

Recommended Reading: What to know about SAD in the Summer

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SAD Symptoms

Because SAD can occur during any season, the symptoms can also differ depending on the time of year. Typically SAD can be distinguished in two separate categories; Winter-Pattern SAD and Summer-Pattern SAD. Together they include all four seasons of the year, Winter-Pattern Sad referring to Fall and Winter, and Summer-Pattern SAD referring to Summer and Spring. Check out the lists below and notice some symptoms between the two are the same.

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Navigating SAD & What You Can Do

If you’ve been experiencing or have experienced SAD in the past, there are steps you can take towards feeling better. And the good news is, you’ve already done the first step! Learn what SAD is and the symptoms related to it. The second step is to assess your symptoms and do some research on the remedies and treatments that can help. For instance, if I had low energy and was oversleeping every day, I would try a sunlight therapy lamp. The most popular strategy for decreasing many symptoms of SAD is light therapy. Some other notable treatments to SAD are supplementing vitamins, therapy, and exercise. For me, it can be helpful to write down the symptoms and make note of each remedy or treatment I want to try. It’s true that when something like changing seasons has an effect on our mental health, it can be very tricky to navigate it. Getting to know and giving ourselves the proper self-care is essential in achieving all mental health goals.

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