As we approach the end of November, we enter what I deem as the most challenging part of the year; the weather continues to worsen, the days get shorter for another month, and we are at a point between holiday breaks when the burnout starts to fully settle in, and the motivation for what's to come is not enough to find any joy in every day, also known as seasonal depression. It happens to the best of us. We get trapped in a depressive state that remains until 6 pm no longer looks like midnight. And though there is no way we can increase the amount of daylight, there are coping tools we can use to manage the outcomes resulting from a lack of daylight.
Strategy #1
Simply bring the light in yourself. Don't allow yourself to rot in the darkness. Make sure that you keep your space nice and bright and start decreasing the amount of light in relation to your sleep schedule, creating a sort of artificial sunset.
Strategy #2
Another essential tool to use is to remain social. Don't hermit yourself because it's dark outside. Continue making plans and putting yourself in social settings. We are social creatures, and though it can be easy to just lie in bed when it seems that's what the weather warrants, it will not help our case.
Strategy #3
Prioritize exercise. Though that extra layer of fat may be excellent in keeping us warm, not exercising will continue to worsen that depressive state. We need to continue doing as we can, and exercising releases all those "feel-good" chemicals in our brain, which is essential in mood-boosting and aiding with mental health.
Though these solutions may seem trivial and straightforward, the reminder is sometimes necessary so that we actually put these tools into practice. Seasonal depression is no fun, and there is also no cure, but there are ways to lessen the effects and make it more manageable.
Robert Neubecker