Winter Blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder: Why Dismal Winter Days Can Darken Your Mood and Ways to Brighten Your Outlook

Thrive • Dec 22, 2021

By Thrive Waco Therapist Katherine Moore, MA, LPC-Associate

Even if you look forward to the holiday season all year, can’t wait to read a good book by a crackling fireplace, and are counting the days until you can frolic through fresh snow, you can also experience seasonal sadness. In fact, most of us have felt down during the winter. Dreary winter days can make it difficult for many to summon their natural cheerfulness, gratitude, and enthusiasm for life. This shift in mood may be confusing, especially if you’re typically captivated by wintertime wonders.

As the nights lengthen, days shorten, temperatures drop, and storm clouds block the sun, your mood can darken. Essentially, the changing patterns of sunlight can disrupt your circadian rhythm (a kind of biological clock that influences your sleepiness and wakefulness patterns) and hormonal balance. Two conditions commonly develop during the winter — the “winter blues” and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), recently designated Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with a Seasonal Pattern . Below, you can explore the differences between the winter blues and SAD, as well as find wintertime mood-boosting strategies.

WHAT ARE THE WINTER BLUES?

Individuals struggling with the winter blues generally experience feelings of sadness, fatigue, and loneliness attributed to bleak winter weather. Although not considered a mental disorder, the winter blues may cause you to feel like a gloomy version of yourself, while still being able to participate in and enjoy daily activities.

Symptoms of the Winter Blues

Feeling sad or down during the winter months
Decreased motivation or energy
Changes or difficulty with sleeping

Causes of the Winter Blues

Cold weather
Shorter days, longer nights
Decrease or change in exposure to sunlight and vitamin D production

Risk Factors for the Winter Blues

Lack of connection to community and social interactions
History of depression or anxiety
Environmental considerations (such as living in a climate that experiences particularly long or harsh winters)

WHAT IS SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER?

Also known as seasonal depression, SAD or MDD with a Seasonal Pattern is a subtype of major depressive disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to engage in everyday life and find pleasure in activities that typically spark joy. In most cases, a person struggling with SAD will experience depression that begins in the fall or winter and ends in the spring. Less commonly, individuals may experience SAD in the summer which is possibly brought on by exposure to too much sunlight that can cause sleeplessness, agitation, and anxiety.

Symptoms of SAD

Depressed mood or sadness
Decreased motivation or energy
Hypersomnia (or excessive sleepiness)
Eating beyond fullness
Weight gain
Loss of interest in hobbies or activities that usually evoke happiness
Social isolation and withdrawal
Feeling agitated
Difficulty concentrating
Sense of hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts

Causes of SAD

Decrease or change in exposure to sunlight and vitamin D production, resulting in:
- Changes in circadian rhythm (disruption to your body’s internal clock)
- Hormonal fluctuation, including imbalances of serotonin and melatonin

Risk Factors for SAD

History of depression or anxiety
Genetic factors

WAYS TO BOOST YOUR MOOD IN WINTERTIME

You can keep out the cold and wrap yourself in warmth by incorporating some of the self-care strategies below into your wintertime routine.

Eat intuitively. The way you nourish your body is directly connected to your mental health , but shorter days may disrupt breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time routines. By listening to your fullness and hunger cues, while also eating an array of foods consistently and adequately, you can promote your well-being — including your emotional health.
Move mindfully. Allowing yourself the time and space to move intentionally can do wonders for your mind-body-spirit connection. Research shows that mindful movement can help lower stress and anxiety in addition to relieving depression and improving overall mood.
Commit to a consistent sleep and wake routine. By going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, you can practice good sleep hygiene , which can help you regulate your emotions effectively and promote overall well-being.
Spend time outdoors in the sun. Sunlight promotes the body’s vitamin D production and vitamin D is believed to affect the regulation of the feel-good hormone serotonin. By doing your best to soak up the sunshine when it graces the sky, you can help foster feelings of happiness.
Maintain connections with family and friends. Loved ones can infuse dismal winter days and long winter nights with laughter, companionship, and a sense of belonging.
Participate in service projects and other community activities . Offering your time to individuals in need and enveloping yourself in your community can bring you a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection. Your presence can light up the lives of others, making you feel good in turn.

CLINICAL TREATMENT FOR THE WINTER BLUES AND SAD

If your sadness, lethargy, or other depressive symptoms begin to impair your daily functioning or extend beyond the season, we encourage you to seek clinical support. A licensed professional can guide you in developing coping skills, reducing your depressive symptoms, and increasing your resiliency. You deserve to feel wonderful any time of year, and through outpatient therapy , Thrive can help you embrace the winter season with joy. Reach out to us to learn more.

About the Author

Thrive Waco Therapist Katherine Moore, MA, LPC-Associate

Katherine’s areas of clinical focus include mood disorders (such as depression and anxiety), adjustment, identity, self-esteem, life transitions, relationships, as well as grief and loss. She’s passionate about facilitating growth, providing empathy, and forming genuine connections with clients. Katherine believes that we all have stories that shape us and make us who we are, and she feels honored to create a safe space where an individual’s story can be shared. She hopes that all clients feel seen and heard during sessions with her and that through the process of therapy they discover new insights, awareness, authenticity, and self-agency.

Katherine earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor as well.

Quality time is one of Katherine’s top love languages, and when not at Thrive she can be found sharing that time with those she cares for, browsing bookstores, watching the same shows repeatedly on Netflix, exploring the outdoors, and traveling.

Supervised by Erin McGinty Fort, LPC-Supervisor (76628) | Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

The post Winter Blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder: Why Dismal Winter Days Can Darken Your Mood and Ways to Brighten Your Outlook first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

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