For the winter blues, season sufferers or holiday stressors, the Canadian Mental Health Association suggests spending time in the sun and checking in with healthcare professionals if winter is bringing you down.
While Seasonal Affective Disorder has received a lot of attention and blame during the winter months, only about two to three per cent of Canadians will experience the condition, which involves major depression.
Another 15 per cent of Canadians might feel a milder form, where they experience the “winter blues” but are still able to live without any major disruption to their lives.
“A lot of people conflate the weather with the season, but it’s much more to do with the season,” said Hamid-Balma, the Vancouver-based mental health promotion director from the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“The seasonal part of season affective disorder has less to do with the weather, and more to do with the time of year. Light is not the only factor, but certainly light is more of a factor than whether it’s raining or cloudy,” she said.
That means the onset of SAD has more to do with latitude of a geographic area – shorter days are the main culprit across the country, not the Lower Mainland’s dreary rainy season.
The good news is that light is still coming through those clouds during the day, and taking short walks or moments in the sun could be a benefit to everyone, especially people feeling down.
“Even on a cloudy day you are getting sunlight – daylight – so having chances to get outdoors is always a good idea,” said Hamid-Balma.
Adam Hart, a Squamish-based motivational speaker, also gave that advice at a seminar on Nov. 23 at The Commons, focused on everyday “biohacks,” including techniques to beat the winter blues.
“Heading into the season, so many of us are so distracted by our phones, we’re not able to connect with how we can support ourselves in really simple ways to lift some of that mental exhaustion,” said Hart. “To be thinking cleaner and clearer, be happier, and getting better quality sleep.”
Hart said his event will focus on small, achievable additions to routines to help boost mood and energy levels. Examples include adding a scoop of healthy fat, like coconut oil, into a normal breakfast routine, or starting the day with two minutes of outdoor time looking towards the sun.
If you are feeling down at any time of the year – whether it’s holiday stress, seasonal blues, anxiety, depression or something else entirely – it’s always worth checking in with a doctor or healthcare professional.
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s bouncebacktoday.ca website can also help people with a short quiz that looks at signs of mental health distress.
“It’s very treatable, and people shouldn’t get into that ‘oh it’s inevitable’ and this is the cost of living in this part of the world. It absolutely isn’t,” said Hamid-Balma. “There are lots of people who are doing well and lots of things you can do. None of us should have to expect a third of the year or quarter of the year to be feeling terrible.”
