If you typically start feeling draggy, irritable, and unmotivated around this time each year—or if you've moved to a more northern latitude and find yourself gobsmacked by these symptoms—you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.
The autumnal type of the disorder is triggered when lower levels of natural light cause the body to produce higher levels of serotonin, a hormone closely tied to the circadian or sleep-wake cycle. When serotonin levels rise, you can feel tired, experience fuzzy thinking, or feel depressed. You might crave carb-heavy comfort foods, sleep much more than usual,l and find it hard to be alert when you need to be.
Fortunately, there are several actions you can take to counteract the symptoms of SAD, and many Grokker resources can support you.
- Note: As you would with any other disorder, get a clinician to confirm that you have SAD, not another issue or combination of issues, and to work with you on a personalized treatment plan. Other conditions, such as iron deficiency anemia, sleep disorders, and clinical depression, can cause similar symptoms.
A brighter outlook
A frontline defense against SAD is using bright light therapy, which uses a clinically validated intensity of light (at least 10,000 lux) to mimic sunlight and decrease the high serotonin levels that are causing your SAD symptoms. Bright light therapy lamps often produce full-spectrum light that closely reproduces natural light. Newer lamps sometimes lean toward blue light wavelengths to reflect emerging science about those wavelengths' effectiveness. Quality lamps screen out all but a tiny fraction of UV rays.
It's important to know that neither the full-spectrum light bulbs you might use in a table lamp nor other sources of bright light, such as ring lights you might use for Zoom calls, are appropriate for clinical use.
The good news is that you can get a proper full-spectrum bright light for about $250. Some insurance plans might cover the cost once you have a diagnosis, or you might be able to use FSA or HSA dollars for a purchase.
Bright light therapy couldn't be easier: you simply sit in front of a lamp each morning while you drink your coffee or catch up on headlines. Using the lamp in the morning is important because you don't want to suppress serotonin production at night when you do want to feel drowsy.
Other tools for defeating SAD
Use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to challenge your depressive thoughts. If you're not familiar with CBT, check out Catherine Wikholm, DClinPsy's excellent introduction. Grokker has many CBT guides, putting support only a click away.
Calendar your socialization. Plan a variety of things to look forward to each week. Show up to do the activities and let your feelings catch up. If you need some motivation to get off the couch, remind yourself how good you feel when you spend time with your friends or pursue a hobby.
Exercise can help boost mood and energy at any time of year. Grokker fitness expert Tara Stiles has an easy, four-minute yoga routine that can help you start to move, and Grokker has dozens of workout videos, from mild to high intensity, to inspire you to exercise at your own pace.
Support your wellbeing with nutrition. Increasingly, nutritional science proves the maxim "garbage in, garbage out." Grokker nutrition expert Chris Mohr explains how to maximize the good stuff while not feeling deprived. His own journey is a great introduction to easy, practical ways to support your wellness with nutrition.
Getting ahead of SAD symptoms can make your autumn and winter months happier, more productive, and more hopeful.
