Daylight savings time has come to its timely close, on Halloweekend no less. While I’m sure many of us enjoyed and appreciated that extra hour Saturday night, there are many more changes still to come.
The days are colder and the nights are longer. The sun is setting earlier and earlier every day and with that comes many an annual affliction. Aside from the flu and getting paler, seasonal depression comes a-knockin’.
Officially referred to as seasonal affective disorder, this silent criminal of good feelings is not an all or nothing affair. There are many ways to combat the seasonal sadness most tend to feel around this time of year and so I have decided to compile a list for anyone in need.
What is SAD?
First and foremost, seasonal affective disorder is, as the name implies, a seasonal depression that afflicts many during the colder, darker months. Despite what many may think, sunlight serves a very important purpose to us as humans. Not only does the sun play a vital role in our very existence with its warmth and light, but the sun serves as our main source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is extremely important, despite what little it is talked about. Vitamin D is responsible for keeping our bones strong as well as our immune system. It also tends to affect our emotional dispositions. No one’s happy when they’re sick and I have seen many more people sporting a smile on a 70 degree, sunny day in September than a cold, drizzly day in February.
Pushing our day an hour later reduces our waking sunshine time. Additionally, walking around in more clothing and staying indoors even more so reduces our time in the sun.
What can you do?
That being said, here are some tips I would recommend to those who are either already feeling the SAD hit, or know that they get it bad every year.
- Eat vitamin D rich foods
- Eggs
- Cheeses
- Cultured and fortified dairy products
- Fortified plant based milks
- Mushrooms
- Try getting some sunshine time every day
- Vitamin D supplements
- Exercise
- Spend time with a support system
- Find and appreciate your favorite pastimes
- Avoid listening to melancholic music
- Try listening to something more upbeat or higher BPM
- Try not to let the SADness take over. It’s temporary.
I hope that this helps someone out this Fall and Winter, especially with the inevitable final exams and holiday stressors.
— dj dragonfly
