Across much of the nation, winter has a firm grip on the weather, leading to short, gloomy days and long, freezing nights. Even in warmer and sunnier parts of the country, there is significantly less light in the day. For many people, these seasonal changes can cause a sense of lingering sadness and even depression.
When a person has recurring depression during the fall and winter, it can be called winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder or winter depression. But even without a diagnosis, the winter blues can wear you down and make it hard to keep your recovery on track.
I recently talked about the winter blues with some friends in recovery who all work with me here at Workit Health. I was surprised at how many of us struggle with it. My colleagues had some excellent suggestions for getting through the dark, cold months while supporting your recovery and mental health:
Let there be light
Light therapy is one of the ways that seasonal affective disorder is treated, but you don’t have to wait for a doctor to tell you to try it. Derek says, “I spent YEARS talking about looking into a light therapy lamp, considering trying to find one or see if they really work. In general, I turned it into a MUCH bigger ordeal than it needed to be! I finally got one on Amazon a couple years ago. It was small, inexpensive (around 20 bucks), and got here in just a couple days. It’s the best thing ever! I didn’t need to make finding one into such a struggle.”
Karisa goes low-tech to get light. “I assign myself mandatory time outside,” she says. “Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, getting outside helps break the cycle.”
Treat yo’self
Giving yourself little, intentional moments of joy can really help at beating back the sense of helpless gloom in the cold, dark months. For example, Chris finds that things that smell good lift his mood. “I’ve bought quite a few seasonal wax melts for my wax warmer.” Karisa loves indulging in fun or cozy accessories. She says, “Wearing a fun hat or gloves or enjoying a cup of apple cider /hot chocolate makes going outside more enjoyable and gives me something to look forward to.”
Derek says, “I allow myself extra allowances for ‘silly’ things that make me happy. It doesn’t matter that it’s a children’s book that I’ve read ten times before—it’s ok to re-read the Harry Potter series if I want to! Giving myself permission to eat instant ramen for breakfast is also a big winter comfort for me!”
Stay active
When the outdoors is so unwelcoming, it can be tempting to burrow in at home and be fairly inactive. Unfortunately, for some of us that makes the sadness worse instead of better. If possible, try to find activities you can achieve despite the weather.
Kiryn says, “I am a projects kind of person, so in the winter, I move to indoor projects like organizing my storage, cleaning out my garage/basement, moving the furniture around in my house, etc.” Karisa finds it important to remind herself that she can still enjoy activities, even in the depths of winter. “Even when my mood feels off, I remember that I can still engage in things I love.”
Connect with others
This one is huge for me. When it starts to get dark early, I find it easy to stay home and ignore the people in my life. But that makes me feel lonely, isolated, and unsupported. Instead, I have to make the decision to connect with others on purpose: getting to my recovery meetings, sending silly memes, and sharing meals.
Karisa agrees. She says, “ I make an effort to find something to do outdoors with family or friends, often asking for a ride so I don’t back out.”
Be kind to yourself
When I’m feeling down, I often get very self-critical. It’s almost like I’m punishing myself for feeling bad … which makes me feel worse. I have to be aware of this tendency and reach out for coping tools or support instead of being mean to myself. Karisa adds, “I remind myself that there’s nothing inherently wrong with me or what I’m doing—it’s just the weather, something I can’t control.”
Don’t self-medicate
Feeling sad, tired, and possibly depressed can be triggering for some folks’ addictive behaviors. After all, we spent years teaching our brains that when things felt bad, a drink or drug was the solution. To be clear, that was a false solution that often made things worse instead of better, but it’s still an easy habit to slip back into. Instead of falling into that trap, lean hard into your recovery community, program, or coping skills. For me, that means attending my recovery meetings even when I’m feeling down, and remembering to tell my healthcare provider what I’m experiencing.
Remember, no matter how unhappy you feel in the cold, dark days, going back to drinking or drug use won’t make it better … it will just add new problems on top of your winter blues.
Get help if you need it
For many of us, the winter blues are expected every year but are manageable. For others, they’re more debilitating. If you have depression symptoms every fall and winter, consider talking to a healthcare professional. You may have seasonal affective disorder. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, some of the symptoms include:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Changes in sleep or appetite or unplanned weight changes
- Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
- Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
- Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
- Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates, leading to weight gain
- Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
If some of this sounds like what you’re experiencing, reach out to see if treatment might help.