Do you ever find yourself feeling especially tired or sad in the winter? If the gray skies, short days, and lack of sunlight get you down every year, you’re not alone. An estimated 10 million people in the United States have seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Most people with SAD tend to experience feelings of depression in late fall and throughout winter, with symptoms persisting until spring.
SAD is usually diagnosed in young adults, but many children and teens also experience it. It’s easy to mistake the symptoms of SAD for typical teen angst, so pay attention to any changes in your kids’ behavior, especially in the late fall or winter.
To help you and your kids out, we put together a guide on everything you need to know to beat the winter blues.
What are the symptoms of seasonal depression?
If your children feel more exhausted earlier than usual, or you notice they don’t seem as lively as normal, these could be symptoms of SAD. Be on the lookout for any of the other following symptoms:
- Low mood
- Negative thoughts
- Loss of interest in hobbies
- Lack of motivation
- Sleep problems
- Changes in appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Fatigue
Not everyone experiences every symptom, but people with SAD will notice some of these symptoms around the same time every year. Everyone experiences low moods and negative thoughts sometimes, but if you notice depressive symptoms every day or most days during the winter, SAD may be the reason why.
What causes it?
We don’t know exactly why people experience SAD, but researchers believe it has to do with the decrease in sunlight. The change in the amount of daylight we experience can alter our levels of serotonin and melatonin, which affects our mood.
Melatonin is also responsible for maintaining your body’s circadian rhythm, which is what regulates your sleep–wake cycle.
If you have SAD, you may notice you tend to feel drowsy and cranky in the winter. Because the sun sets so early, you might not be getting enough sunlight, causing your body to produce too much melatonin and resulting in those negative feelings.
Who experiences it?
Though SAD can affect anyone, some people are more likely to experience it than others, such as young adults and women.
We don’t know why, but SAD is 4 times more common in women than in men. Some researchers believe it’s related to the fact that women tend to have higher levels of cortisol. Cortisol is commonly known as the “stress hormone” because it regulates your body’s response to stress. You might find you feel more stressed out in the winter than at other times, regardless of what’s going on in your life.
Geography also factors in to who experiences SAD. People who live in areas with longer winters and less sunlight have higher rates of SAD than those who live in sunnier regions. For instance, SAD is 7 times more common in Washington state than in Florida.
What can you do to feel better?
If you have SAD, or even just experience some mild symptoms, there are some steps you can take to feel better during the winter months:
Go outside. Get as much sunlight as you can. Go for a walk, or eat lunch at the park if you’re able to. Even on a cloudy day, going outside for a little while will be better than staying indoors all day.
Try light therapy. If your schedule keeps you from going outside while the sun is out, you can get a light therapy lamp. These are very bright light boxes that simulate sunlight. The bright light will cause your body to reduce the production of melatonin and increase the production of serotonin to improve your mood.
Eat a healthy diet. Your diet can have an impact on your mental health, and certain foods are known to help ease depression: fresh fruits and vegetables, probiotic foods such as yogurt, seafoods and lean poultry, and whole grains such as wheat bread and oatmeal.
Exercise regularly. You don’t have to go to the gym if that’s not the kind of exercise you enjoy doing, but you should find some way to get on your feet and stay active, whether that’s by dancing, riding a bike, playing with your pets, or anything else. The reason for this is simple, and Elle Woods summarizes it in Legally Blonde: Exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy.
Socialize. It’s common to feel more isolated in fall and winter due to busy school schedules and extra curricular activities, so make a point to spend some quality time with friends and loved ones. Having a support system will really help when you feel down, and talking to people you care about can make you feel better and distract you from negative thoughts.
What can parents or other adults do to help?
If you notice your kids experiencing depressive symptoms in the winter, there are some things you can do to help:
Talk to a doctor. Take an active role in your child’s treatment, and ask your doctor what you can do to help.
Help your child understand SAD. Even though knowing what SAD is won’t make the symptoms go away, understanding why it happens and how common it is may ease some of the suffering, and it will assure your child that what they’re experiencing is temporary—and that they’re not alone.
Help your child with their diet. Provide your child with healthy foods that will make them feel better, and help them understand that eating too many processed, sugary snacks won’t be good for their mental health.
Take daily walks. If you can, try to go outside for a walk every day, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. This will help your child get some exercise, and it will allow them to spend some time outdoors.
Be patient. Remember that some of the symptoms of SAD are low motivation and trouble concentrating, so your child might need extra patience when it comes to schoolwork. Don’t expect symptoms to go away immediately, and you may need to help your child a little more with their assignments during the winter.
Spend time with your child. Let them know you’re there for them as part of their support system. Company and care from others are important to battling depression.
When the sun sets in the afternoon and you don’t get to see a lot of daylight, it can be easy to feel blue. For many people, it takes more effort to stay positive and energetic during the winter. Things that seem easy in the summer might feel a little harder. But if you know what to look for and how to treat seasonal depression, you can ease some of the symptoms, and feel better even when the days get colder. It’ll be spring again before you know it!
