BC Living
How to Support BC Wineries Now
Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
You Gotta Try this in April 2024
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Travel Light, Travel Right: Minimalist Packing Tips for Solo Explorers
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Cozy Accommodations
Local Getaway: Relax at a Hidden Cabin along Jordan River
Films and TV Series that Inspire Solo Travel
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for April
Cooking Classes
8 Gadgets and Gear for Your Solo Adventures
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Souvenir Hunting in BC
Sḵwálwen Botanicals – Changing the Face of Skincare
If the winter months have got you down, try these strategies to manage the lows
The grey and drizzle during the winter months can cause depression
The long, dark days of winter can cause anyone to feel blue from time to time. However, for some people the dramatic decrease in daylight in the fall and winter months can be a real problem, sometimes resulting in a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Researchers believe that reduced sunlight may disrupt the natural rhythms that regulate the body’s internal clock (which tells the body when to sleep and when to wake), causing this season-related depression.
Many SAD symptoms are the same as those linked to depression or bipolar disorder. If symptoms are present for two winters in a row (without any other explanation) it is possible that SAD may be present.
Symptoms include:
A good indicator of SAD is also a sudden upswing in mood and activity level when spring returns.
Strategies to help manage SAD include:
People with severe symptoms of SAD may benefit from antidepressant medications, cognitive-behavioural therapy and light therapy – daily, controlled (usually 30 minutes) exposure to a bright, artificial light source.
If you consistently feel symptoms of depression during the fall and winter, see your doctor.
Originally published in Wellness Matters, Canada Wide Media’s quarterly newsletter on health and wellness.