This Is How You Can Beat the ‘Winter Blues’

The winter season can definitely be a difficult time for some. While the holidays may bring moments of celebration and cheer, the lulls in between combined with the colder weather, shorter days, and minimal sunlight can be a sort of perfect storm for low energy and low mood. Add in that it’s the prime season for the flu and common cold, the winter comes with a set of challenges.

Though, the season’s challenges shouldn’t take away from or discourage the festive and merry gatherings that take place between November and February. Spending time in the company of others has a “mood-boosting” effect that is important to cherish in the winter months, according to Kelly Rohan, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Vermont who studies Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Social wellness, among other factors, is significant for getting through the winter months, which may be difficult for some.

The National Institute of Mental Health says “it is estimated that millions of Americans experience SAD,” which is a “recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4−5 months out of the year” and may be influenced by changes in daylight hours. The more common season for experiencing SAD symptoms is the winter months, and the symptoms are those associated with depression in addition to oversleeping, overeating, and social withdrawal which are specific to winter-pattern SAD.

Rohan is known for her clinical trials comparing cognitive behavioral talk therapy (CBT) and light therapy in regards to treating winter SAD. She calls both “very effective” in showing improvements in symptoms, with talk therapy continuing to alleviate symptoms in future winters.

“Most people, at a high latitude are going to experience some symptoms, it’s just a question of how many and how bad,” Rohan says.

Aside from the aforementioned treatments, Rohan has some recommendations to help get ahead of the “winter blues”:

• Try as much to stay in routine: “The things that you have in your life that naturally help you maintain a good mood.”
• Continue to engage socially: “Don’t get stuck in hibernation mode.”
• Be proactive: “Know this is a high risk period and push through the fatigue and the cold.”

Anna Shannahan, MD, Associate Director of Education at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, also highlights the importance of social wellness.

“There’s restorative solitude, which is wonderful, and there’s a fine line between that and isolating loneliness,” Shannahan says.

Oftentimes in the winter, according to Shannahan, the effort necessary to get out of the house when the weather is bad often leads to a complete drop in social wellbeing. Thus, it’s important to get out and see friends and enjoy time amongst others.

Though November and December have a handful of big days for entertaining, “going out” doesn’t necessarily mean big parties and outings. Even smaller, more intimate gatherings held at home are beneficial for social wellness.

Thomas J. Story

However, to participate in activities for social wellness, it helps to be physically well. Shannahan emphasizes “the overall foundations of health”—good nutrition, movement, sleep. 

“I can throw all the supplements in the world at somebody but if we need to still work on the foundations of health, that’s the most important,” Shannahan says.

Shannahan recommends the following for wellness:

• Nutritious diet: “whole foods, sources of omega 3s and probiotics”
• Daily movement (that you enjoy!): “ideally getting 150 minutes of cardio a week and about two to three days of resistance training”

• Sleep (seven to eight hours at least)
• Spend time outside: take advantage of “precious daylight hours”
• Find time for social wellness

It’s important to take advantage of that time spent with others this season, as well as scheduling some of your own outside of them. Additionally, experiencing symptoms that align with SAD is something that more people than may be expected deal with. As social wellness is especially necessary during this time of year, it’s important to lean on and check in with your own communities. In turn, this helps yourself and others.