10 Ways to Avoid and Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

It’s debilitating and impacts every aspect of our lives. Luckily, there are ways to avoid it or stop it in its tracks.

Before we get into that, let’s talk about some of the other symptoms we may feel this fall. You may already be nodding your head in agreement, but there’s more.

We all know it’s coming.

Beyond the fatigue and sadness:

• Perhaps we’re not being as patient as we normally are. 
• Our energy levels are low, and this contributes to our lethargy. 
• We’re disappointed in ourselves, for a host of reasons: we didn’t get our chores done; our body isn’t the size or shape we want; at night, especially, we can’t seem to get off the sofa; we feel like we’re letting friends and family down. 
• And the guilt makes it worse.

At a certain point we become frightened enough to wonder – will I ever feel joy or happiness again? Or will I feel sad forever?

Seasonal Affective Disorder: When Will We Snap Out of It?

That’s when it may help to know there are specific things that cause us to feel so especially crummy this time of year.

Right now, there are many things going on around us that contribute to a general sense of malaise. 

And for those who suffer with mental illness, it can be enough to set off a serious depressive episode.

Knowing the natural triggers we’re all dealing with right now; and to know that at least some of this shall pass, may be helpful, for some.

But information is always useful – so here’s some more.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Why We Feel Sad Right Now

Sometimes it helps to understand the cause for our physical and emotional experience.

Here are few of the key things that make this time of year challenging:

1. The days are shorter and colder.

Basically, less sun = less happiness. For a number of reasons.

When there’s less sun, we spend less time outdoors and active.

We spend more time indoors, sitting still, and also very often, alone. 

There’s also the Vitamin D thing; sun helps us meet our needs in this area.

To make matters worse, more darkness makes us produce more melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy; and since it’s getting dark earlier in the day, we’re getting dosed with melatonin earlier, and feeling sleepy earlier, too.

So, we’re not only indoors, sitting still, alone, but our bodies are making us tired.

All because of the change of seasons.  It’s not our fault!

2. Stressful decisions.

Yes, that joyful time of year is not always so joyful.

The emotional decisions:

• Do we stay with my family or his?

• Do we make the kids stay home with family or do we let them visit with their friends?
• How will we balance their schedules with ours?
• How shall we travel?
• Or will the relatives visit us?
• How can we make sure everyone feels loved and no one is left out?

Family is a blessing, but all the juggling of our obligations can also raise our stress levels. 

Layer that on top of end of the year deadlines for work, and/or loneliness – which tends to strike some of us worst this time of year – and it’s a recipe for volatile emotional swings, which can be exhausting.

3. Other sources of stress.

This time of year, there are too many to count.

• The gift-choosing, finding, and wrapping.
• The extra shopping and baking.
• The meal planning, ingredient shopping, food preparation, extra household chores, incoming guests, and/or travel arrangements to make, just to name a few. 
• The long list of “shoulds” that begins to overcome our joy. 
• I should go visit Aunt Marie. 
• I should make homemade treats. 
• If I don’t spend time with Mom or Dad, I’m not a good daughter.
• Can’t forget my partner’s Mom and Dad, and oh the stepparents, too. 
• I forgot to buy gifts for the teachers.

We begin to feel we are not enough because our list of the requirements to be enough is too darn long.

4. We’re eating a lot of stuff that doesn’t help

It’s cold outside, and all we want is a nice warm, hearty meal. 

Enter the food that’s loaded with carbs and fat, some of which we would never even think of consuming on a hot summer day. 

It’s our body’s natural survival instinct – chow down to survive the winter!

Except now we have coats and heat and fireplaces and other things to help us survive – we don’t need to eat a Woolly Mammoth!!!

And after a heavy main course, maybe with a cocktail or two, the dessert becomes harder to resist too. 

We want, no, we NEED some sugar to balance out all that fat – and what’s one or two cookies, or a piece of pie, a glass of eggnog in the grand scheme of things?

I find myself eating things in November that I would never even be tempted by in July. 

Is there anyone out there who drinks eggnog or Irish coffee in July?

5. We’re not touching Mother Earth

Remember that post about grounding?

Coming in touch with the earth, whether it be from walking barefoot, gardening, or some other outdoor activity, provides us with a natural boost. 

The scientific explanation has to do with the free radicals in our bodies. 

“Grounding” is another way to get some of those wonderful antioxidants we read so much about.  And needless to say, when it’s dark and cold outside – we get less of this natural boost.

6.  Vacation is a distant memory.

For many, it’s been a darn long time since that once-a-year summer vacation.  Burn-out is rearing its ugly head at the time of year when we’re trying to dig deep for that extra boost of energy we need to take on some tasks that can seem almost insurmountable.

I could keep going, but you get the idea — there’s a whole lot going on that’s making us feel our worst. 

Maybe the key message here is: Know that it’s not just you! 

And it’s natural — for most of us this time of year, we just fall into a bit of a slump. 

For some, it’s a mild case of sadness, or the “blahs” and reading a post or two like this may give us some ideas about how to try and get some spring back in our step.

But for others, it is much more serious. 

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of clinical depression.

If you feel as though you are suffering from this and are unable to find relief, please seek care from professional mental health providers right away.

10 Ways to Avoid and Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder

For those who would like to give it a go, here are some ideas about how we can try to offset some of the natural conditions that are bringing us down – or even prevent them from happening at all!

1. Get outside to overcome seasonal affective disorder.

Especially when the sun is shining. Try for 20 minutes a day.

I remember reading something like this once:  Put on comfortable walking shoes.  Tell yourself you will walk to the mailbox (and back).  When you get to the mailbox, odds are, you’ll find the motivation to keep going. 

So just decide, I’m going to walk to the mailbox every day.  Put do it prepared to continue.

2. Get light other ways.

If it’s bitter cold outside, just sitting by a window where there’s natural light can help.

There are also natural light boxes available for purchase.

3. Move more to overcome seasonal affective disorder.

Any way possible. Getting geared up for exercise is tough when we’re feeling down, so if that’s not feeling realistic right now, know that even just simple movement helps a lot.

• Take the stairs.
• Stand while you take a phone call.
• Walk around the house or your office.
• Crank up some tunes and dance it out!

Getting circulation going helps everything. 

If you can do it outside, it’s a double dose of goodness. 

Well, maybe not the dancing? Or who knows … perhaps you’ll make some new friends?

4. Eat healthy to avoid and overcome seasonal affective disorder.

Yes, I know – easier said than done, right?

It can help to just commit to have a healthy breakfast. 

Find some easy breakfast foods that are convenient and good for you and keep them around.

And we need to make ourselves drink at least 1 full glass of water with breakfast to partially re-hydrate to start the day.

Being dehydrated can mess with us in many ways.

5. Make commitments that matter.

To yourself and to others.

Put something on the calendar that you must show up for. It helps provide a sense of purpose. 

Double points if the thing you have to show up for is self-care of some kind!

Try to schedule at least 1 thing a week for the rest of the year.

Perhaps 1 week it’s a haircut. Another week, it’s a massage. Maybe 1 week we plan lunch with a friend.

Or a meeting we’ve been putting off.

Just scheduling these things can help us feel productive.

6. Scratch a few things off the to-do list to avoid and overcome seasonal affective disorder.

One or two fewer gifts, one or two fewer dishes to cook, one or two “shoulds” that aren’t required or bringing you joy.

In the end, taking care of our own needs is so much more important to everyone in our lives. 

If there are a handful of traditions that are important to your family, make them the priority. 

And let some of the rest slide.

7. Ask for or accept help to avoid or overcome seasonal affective disorder.

Many people enjoy helping others out, especially this time of year when they may be feeling more lonely than usual. 

Maybe Grandma or Grandpa would like to be more involved in the holiday prep this year?

And the kids – they are a year older!

What can they do to lighten your load?

Give them a chance to show up for you and be proud of themselves, too.

8. Consider vitamins.

Some of us can really benefit from a supplement or two especially during this time of year.  Vitamin B and D are both popular, but check with your doctor to see what may work best for you.

9. Remember what keeps you grounded.

When we’re feeling down, seeking out experiences that bring short term happiness, like an epic party or wild night on the town can often have a boomerang effect.

A short-term high can be followed by a worse low.

So, think about what makes you content. Calm. Peaceful.

Seek steadiness vs. giddiness.

For some, meditation or other mindfulness activity works.

For others, it’s prayer or volunteering or doing puzzles or some other hobby like knitting or crocheting or even doing a crossword. 

Whatever your calm is, get more of that in your life.

10. Tend to your own personal grooming to overcome seasonal affective disorder.

Sounds basic. But there are many days when this is a challenge for many of us!

Get out of the clothes you slept in. Wash your face. Take a shower. Put on some makeup if you enjoy that. 

If things are really rough, break this down into small steps.

Each step will help bring us out of the darkness a bit. 

And like flowers, we will all eventually feel the natural pull of the sun.

It can feel almost like we’re required to be “jolly” this time of year, or any time of year.  But it’s definitely not that simple for many of us.  So, let’s all try to be extra kind and supportive and understanding of one another.  It feels much more manageable when we remember that we’re all in this together.

Please also check out:

Use Light Therapy to Get Ahead of Seasonal Affective Disorder

4 Proven Ways to Combat Seasonal Depression

Thank you as always for reading.

If you haven’t yet subscribed, please visit KindCompassCoach and enter your email address so you never miss a post.

As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) for purchases made through links in this post.