Seasonal Depression

I’ve been managing seasonal depression for 15 years. As the seasons get darker and the sunshine gets more scarce, my mood shifts from a baseline optimistic mood into a baseline nihilistic mood. 

I’ve developed a few strategies to deal with SAD that help when they are all done in concert.

Caffeine:
During intense winter months, I increase my caffeine intake. I am usually a 2 cups of coffee person. In the winter, I more regularly do 3 in the morning and will sometimes do more in the afternoon. This isn’t an awesome fix, but it really does help. 

Vitamin D: I go ham on vitamin D. Daily recommended dose is 1000. I take 8000. When I got my blood tested recently, they said I was on the low end of normal. I suspect I just don’t intake vitamin D well, which is a known genetic issue.

Happy Light: I have used these off and on over the years, but they’ve gotten way cheaper recently. While I’m in the Northwest for the Christmas season, I am using a happy light for 30 minutes in the morning. 

Sauna and cold plunge: I find that both sauna and cold plunge act as good shocks to the system. They add a nice dopamine and serotonin spike to the day. I try to time them for the afternoon because that’s when caffeine starts to wear out and dwindle. This usually resets me for the remainder of the afternoon.

Exercise: If I can get high-intensity lifting or cardio in, I will do that. The endorphins following the exercise help counteract my feelings of SAD

Naps and Sleep: I try to get a 20-minute nap in every day during the winter. It acts as a reset and keeps me alert. Additionally, I try to be more consistent with my sleep cycles. 

Carbs: I give into carb cravings. I can fight them, but why? 

Meditation: My meditation habit has been very scattered lately, but usually, getting a few days deep into daily practice helps me monitor and resist the more extreme variance caused by SAD.