If you deal with seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, you may be worried about what the future months may bring. After all, the lack of sunlight, when combined with stay-at-home orders or the need to work from home, could mean that you’re going to be experiencing even less daylight than you normally would, potentially causing your SAD to be even worse.
Although coping with the depressive feelings of SAD can be so routine that you may have just gotten used to being sadder or lower energy when fall and winter roll around, there are actually a couple of simple steps you can take in order to face your seasonal affective disorder head-on. These small steps could help you tremendously in coping with your seasonal depression. If you’re really serious about improving your mental health and mood, here are two strategies to keep in mind.
Change your lightbulbs to change your mood.
Since sensitivity to a decrease in natural sunlight can be one of the biggest triggers for seasonal depression, one of the easiest ways to improve your mood and outlook on life is to find a way to bring more sunlight into your home. While that could mean situating yourself closer to windows in the fall or winter, if it’s overcast, you may not reap the same kind of benefits you would with direct light. Thankfully, full spectrum light bulbs exist to mimic the qualities of daylight and help improve your mood.
Full-spectrum lights promote optimal health by operating on the same wavelengths as natural sunlight. By doing so, even down to the color temperature of the light, it’s easier for you to get the light your body needs to be happier, even if you’re spending more time indoors. A full-spectrum light incandescent bulb is super affordable, too, so you can get top Chromalux lights for each room in your home to ultimately boost your outlook on life and help counteract the effects of SAD.
Find a therapist you can trust.
Dealing with mental illness takes hard work and patience, and sometimes you may feel like you don’t have the energy for either of those qualities. That being said, with the right therapist you can figure out different strategies to help you address your feelings of depression and sluggishness. These strategies can serve you well as the amount of daylight gets shorter each day, particularly if used in conjunction with a full spectrum light bulb.
Even if you’re looking for a therapist that supports online telehealth sessions, it’s a good idea to find someone local to you so that you have the option to meet face-to-face in the future. Thankfully, the internet makes it easier than ever to find a therapist in NYC and can even help you screen yourself for SAD if you’ve yet to be officially diagnosed with it.
Mental health care can be difficult to think about for some individuals; however, with the right person, you may be able to see the positive effects of attending even your first session of psychotherapy right away. With the right mental health professionals in your corner, you’ll be taking an active stand against your seasonal affective disorder, learning more about yourself and your mental illness in the process.
Nobody wants to face seasonal affective disorder alone, and thankfully they don’t have to. Finding a psychologist in person or through online therapy can be game-changing when it comes to addressing your feelings of sadness and lethargy when the weather changes and sunlight disappears. Furthermore, having solid strategies and equipment like full-spectrum lamps can help you focus on the positive in the moment while continuing to bring in more natural light.
