As a student, schoolwork always comes first; we pay tuition and take classes for a reason. However, people can often deprive their bodies of what they need to succeed at school, and the problem is exacerbated during the cold and dreary winter months for people experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). A diet full of rainy days and cold weather in which the sun is missing from our lives really changes people. After a winter season full of family time, festivities, and some much-needed relaxation, getting back into a healthy groove isn’t easy. SAD, along with the “winter blues,” is a real thing, so make sure to take extra care of yourself these next few weeks.

Seasonal depression has been around for ages in the form of the “winter blues” but wasn’t formally discovered until 1984. To receive a correct SAD diagnosis, a person must face symptoms of major depression only during a certain time of year for at least two years, and the episodes must be different from traditional depression episodes. While there is no scientifically proven source of the issue felt at varying intensities by millions of people (~5% of U.S. adults suffer from SAD), current scientific research points towards the primary cause being a lack of sunlight. Lots of people also suffer from the winter blues (~15% of Americans) around this time of year, even if it’s not SAD, and that’s no joke either. 

A lack of enough sunlight and inconsistent weather really does affect our brains. It is theorized that we get SAD because the lack of sunlight affects our sleep schedules, impacts the regulation of serotonin (which is what makes us feel happy), leads to overproduction of melatonin (which makes us feel sleepy), and often brings about vitamin D deficiencies. While experts haven’t reached a consensus on which of these are the strongest contributors to SAD, all of these issues are very real and affect the brains of many of us. Please don’t feel like you are alone in feeling a bit down over winter — it’s a struggle fought by lots of us.

Because of this, make sure to treat yourself well over winter. Work towards those New Year’s resolutions, but don’t do it to the detriment of your mental and physical health. Staying above water during the winter is tough enough as it is. After a winter break chock full of family time and lifelong memories, the comeback to reality can feel like a slap in the face sometimes — don’t let it leave you down in the dumps. Staying ahead of your problems and keeping your mental health in mind when making decisions is never easy, but your body will thank you for it when you do.

Some specific advice I can offer to combat winter blues is to make the most of the limited hours of sun we are going to get in the next few months. Just spend a few minutes going for a walk with the sun at your back, or find some warm clothes and watch the sunset when you can — the sun heals, literally. There is just a feeling you get from being outside and watching the sun in the sky that’s hard to find anywhere else and brings about smiles nobody has to pay for; get your smiles in while you can.

As far as making sure to take care of yourself over winter outside of playing hide-and-seek with the sun, there are many things you can do. Some of the less glamorous but extremely effective options are to try and sleep more hours (and more consistent hours) and drink more water (being dehydrated doubles your risk of suffering from depression). Two more quality ways to stave off the winter blues are to have social time with friends (while COVID-19 safe) and to exercise.

If you only gather one thing from this piece, I want you to know that feeling down over the winter is common, and no, you aren’t alone in that feeling. Seasonal Affective Disorder is often something we overlook, but it is a real thing and not something that can be swept under the rug. Make an effort to treat yourself better this winter, the best place to invest in is yourself, and a little bit of extra love can go a long way.

Note: This piece was also published (on 1/18) in the newspaper and on-site for theaggie.org and is available in multiple locations with permission. enjoy!