Navigating the Impact of Seasonal Depression. 

February 21, 2024

Understanding seasonal depression. 

Seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of a major depressive disorder that impacts individuals with symptoms of depression during a specific season, often the winter months starting in the fall and continuing for around 6-8 months (Nussbaumer-Streit, et al., 2018). Individuals may display traditional symptoms of depression which can impact their social and work life through the winter months (Nussbaumer-Streit, et al., 2018). 

Why does this happen? 

There are a variety of reasons why someone might struggle with seasonal depression. Some factors that contribute to this are the activities that people engage in during those months and limited exposure to sunlight. Unless you are engaging in winter sports, it is often a time where people spend more time inside to avoid the cold, and, with the shorter days, they may have less exposure to the sun. In addition to these external factors, often there are also neurological contributors.

What can I do to help reduce symptoms of seasonal depression? 

If you know that you are susceptible to seasonal depression, or feelings of depression are more common for you around the winter months, it can be helpful to start implementing tools that improve your mental wellbeing earlier in the year. If you are able to implement habits that help your mental wellbeing before the winter, it is more likely that these will be habits and routines you can maintain throughout the season. Some helpful skills you may want to engage in are: mindfulness practices, spending time with people who bring you joy, taking some time outside, journaling, and reaching out for support if you are struggling. Additionally, implementing some cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) strategies can be beneficial, as described below. 

CBT is a therapeutic intervention that supports individuals through combining both the restricting of individuals thoughts by challenging some dysfunctional beliefs and shifting negative behaviours to increase positive behaviours (Ciharova, et al., 2021). CBT treatments have been identified to be beneficial in supporting those through seasonal depression (Nussbaumer-Streit, et al., 2018). I like to refer to this as the CBT depression schedule, a tool that is used to support mental wellbeing, and used to support those struggling with symptoms of depression. 

The CBT Depression Daily Schedule

This is done by ensuring that you are implementing these 4 things into your daily routine: exercising, eating 3 meals a day (minimum), completing one chore a day, and performing a self-care activity.

1. Daily Exercise- Exercise and movement are really beneficial to improving mood, even minimal movement can be helpful, it is a bonus if you are able to do this outside in the fresh air and sun.
2. Meals- Depression impacts different people in different ways, some individuals will eat more, while others may forget to eat altogether. As food fuels our energy, it is really important not to forget to take time for making meals.
3. Daily Chores- Completing one chore or cleaning task a day can help make sure that your living environment is remaining in a state that is clean and comfortable. Doing daily chores can also prevent your living environment from getting to a place where the cleaning feels overwhelming leading to further procrastination.
4. Self Care- Finally, a self-care activity can truly be anything you enjoy from having a cup of tea, a nice lunch with a friend, or anything that is done with the intention of doing something that is specifically for you. This allows you to have something that is for you daily. Self care activities can improve your mood and serve as a constant reminder to yourself that you are worthy and important!

I hope that you found this helpful! If you are finding that depression is becoming too challenging to deal with on your own, I would also encourage reaching out to talk to a professional. I want to note that depression is a serious illness and if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts please visit your local emergency department, call a crisis line, or call the police. 

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References: 

Ciharova, M., Furukawa, T. A., Efthimiou, O., Karyotaki, E., Miguel, C., Noma, H., Cipriani, A., Riper, H., & Cuijpers, P. (2021). Cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of adult depression: A network meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 89(6), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000654

Nussbaumer-Streit, B., Pjrek, E., Kien, C., Gartlehner, G., Bartova, L., Friedrich, M.-E., Kasper, S., & Winkler, D. (2018). Implementing prevention of seasonal affective disorder from patients’ and physicians’ perspectives – a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 372–372. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1951-0