By Stephanie Holliday
SEASONAL Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mental health condition where people who have a normal mood for most of the year experience depressive symptoms in winter.
Up to 10 percent of the population are estimated to experience persistent low mood over the colder months, which can gravely affect their daily lives.
Wintery conditions often mean that we have reduced opportunities to interact with the community as the cold keeps us in indoor spaces and reluctant to leave our warm homes.
People experiencing SAD may sleep more than usual, and they may have difficulty waking up in the morning. In addition, they may suffer from poor concentration and have little energy. Personal relationships may be affected as well, with people spending less time with family and friends.
The condition can also affect your appetite with people indulging more comfort foods, which in turn can also affect one’s mood.
However, there are a number of things you can do to pick yourself up:
Ensure you’re getting adequate exercise, enough fluids and mental stimulation to elevate your mood
Seek out warm opportunities for social interaction, invite friends and family over for a movie night, or catch up with friends at a café
Get as much sunlight as possible, even if it is just sitting at the window of a sunny morning
Before you know it, we’ll be back to complaining about those 40-degree days we’re privy to here in the GV.
