“It’s so dark!” my coworker tells me at 8 am.

We are at the therapy office and she is right. The sun is just barely starting to come up and the

cloud cover doesn’t help. These days, a lot of people ask me about seasonal depression or how I

survive Minnesota winters. Here are the things I do personally to get through the dark season.

Happy Light

You know those weird, flat bright lights that you sometimes see on your coworker’s desk? They’re

extra bright and seem unnecessary. They are what I like to call a “happy light”. They actually emit a

bright light (about 10,000 lux) to mimic daylight. Studies have shown that using bright light therapy

daily for at least 20 minutes can improve mood (Melrose, 2015). They work best if you use them

consistently and in the mornings. I use mine for about an hour 5 days a week.

Natural Light

Because light therapy is so effective, I also increase the natural light in my home and office. Every

morning, I open the curtains and blinds to let in as much light as possible. It makes the home look

cheery, bright, and it also lets in the warmth from the sun to save some money on my heating bill.

Medications

Another one of my daily routines is to take my medications. Antidepressants are effective in

treating depression and seasonal depression. Meds aren’t needed for everyone, but in some cases

they can be really helpful (Melrose, 2015). For some people, this looks like adjusting medication in

the fall to prevent seasonal depression. Whatever you decide, make sure to talk to your doctor and

make the decision together.

Therapy

Surprise! Therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is also very effective in treating seasonal

depression (Melrose, 2015). As I like to say, every good therapist has their own therapist. My

therapist helps me talk through any family drama that comes up, talk about the stress from work or

from watching the news. Basically, she helps me take care of myself so I can take care of others.

Exercise*

This one has an asterisk by it because it the one that is the hardest for me. Some winters, I am at

the gym every other day. This winter, I’m in my sweatpants at home every other day. It is hard to

get the motivation and energy to actually work out, even more so when is depressed or when it’s

snowy and icy outside. Since it’s harder to get the gym this winter, I try to do more physical activity

at home. I pace when I’m on the phone, I dance in the kitchen with my daughter, I stretch before

bed. All of these activities help my body and mind feel better. And maybe on a good day, I’ll do a

20 min yoga or workout video—but let’s be real, it’s been a while since that has happened.

I obviously don’t do all of these things—all winter—100% of the time. I don’t take my happy light

when I travel for the holidays. Traveling makes exercise even harder to do. I do my best to stick to

these things, forgive myself when I miss something, and keep going. We’re all doing the best we

can with what we have.

If you’re struggling with seasonal depression and need your own therapist, reach out to us at

Northlight Mental Health. We can offer one on one care to help you survive the winters too.

References:

Melrose S. (2015). Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depression research and treatment, 2015, 178564. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/178564

This blog post is written for educational purposes only and is not meant to be diagnostic or a replacement for mental health treatment or medical care.