The Stark family words - Winter is Coming! This is from Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire for those of you who don't watch the show/read the books.. weirdos. Winter in PA can be pretty crappy, but at least it will never be as bad as winter in Westeros... We have just completed the "fall back" portion of daylight savings time. I certainly am never going to complain about an extra hour of sleep! Each day we will get less and less sunlight for almost 2 months. With the decrease in sunlight, people can become SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It's a real thing! I did't make it up. Even people who are considered "healthy" can struggle with SAD, also known as "winter blues". These colder days with less and less daylight make it even more tempting to stay at home and not venture out. I have some friends who know that the winter months are especially tough for me and they tell me they're coming over, picking me up and making me get out of the house (I'm looking at you, Janet). If I have made plans with someone, I always try to honor those plans and get my butt in gear even if I feel blah. Any time I get out of the house and spend time with friends whether it is shopping, going for dinner, going to a friends house, etc. I always enjoy myself, but so often, actually getting the motivation to venture out is SO hard.
Any article I read about SAD talks about the importance of light and Vitamin D. I try to get outside a little bit during my day at work. When I take mail out to the mailbox, I usually take at least 1 quick lap around our building. I always say that it gets my blood flowing and I get a little bit of the morning sunlight. Whether that is scientifically accurate, I don't know, but it sounds legit. Another thing that works to my benefit is that my office has 2 large windows - one that faces east and one that faces south. That always gives me lots of natural light and heat; some days I'm not sure how to dress for work because it is so chilly outside but my office can get so warm. In addition to a taking a vitamin D supplement each day, I invested in a Sunrise Alarm Clock from Amazon. I can't say with scientific certainty if it helps my winter blues, but I do like that a light will come on 30 minutes before my alarm time and it will slowly get brighter until the alarm goes off. I also like that I can pick from different alarm sounds and I don't feel as jolted awake when the alarm goes off. I have birds chirping instead of that awful beeping noise.
As I have been researching more about depression and how it can worsen over the winter months, I have been reading a lot about light therapy and came across Northern Light Technologies USA. Maybe someday one of these desk lamps might be something I need to invest in. Do you struggle with winter blues? What have been some things that you have or have not found to be helpful?
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