Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured Image: A small percentage of the population take the change in weather during the winter months harder than others. | Courtesy of Creative Commons
The clocks have turned back, the skies have grown darker, and the sun rarely makes an appearance. The transition period from fall to winter is widely considered one of the more difficult times of the year. With assignments pilling up and finals just around the corner, the weather outside does little to curb the overwhelming feeling of doom and despair that seems to float in the air.
For some, the ‘winter blues’ may hit harder than it does for others. This is not uncommon, and in fact, a lot of people are SAD during this time of year. Dr. Patricia Lakin-Thomas from the department of Biology discussed seasonal affective disorder (SAD): “It’s a form of depression that is triggered by the decreasing hours of daylight in the winter. Our circadian (daily) rhythms in physiology and activity are driven by a master clock in the brain, and this clock gets light information from our eyes to synchronize it with the day/night cycle and to measure the length of the day to know what season it is.”
An estimated two to three per cent of the general population suffers from SAD. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: feeling depressed for extended periods of time, losing interest in activities, trouble sleeping, low energy, feeling agitated or hopeless, and experiencing a change in appetite or weight.
Dr. Thomas further explains that, “when day length gets shorter in the autumn, some people are triggered into a state that could be called ‘human hibernation.’ Just like animals that hibernate in the winter, humans with SAD feel an urge to eat a lot of carbohydrates to pack on the fat for surviving the long winter, and they just want to curl up and sleep all the time. It sounds amusing, but it can be seriously debilitating for SAD sufferers.”
Ways to cope with SAD include treatments of light therapy. Dr. Thomas says, “There has been some success in treating it by having SAD patients sit in front of bright lights for several hours to trick the brain into thinking that it’s still the long days of summer. The timing of the light exposure and the colour of the lights make a difference to the effect on the patients, which is one way that we know the lights are really affecting the clock in our brains and not just having a placebo effect.”
Another form of treatment includes medication, such as antidepressants. However, for those interested in combating SAD without resorting to medication, exercise therapy is an option.
Daily physical activity is a good way to overcome fatigue and depression. Seeking the sun is important, but it can be difficult nowadays because of how late the sun rises, and how early it sets. However, it’s important to make time to enjoy what little sunlight there may be. It’s important to go outside as often as possible; getting out and feeling the sun, no matter how weak the sunlight may be, is better than none at all.
Self-care is also vital, especially during these long, Canadian winters. Taking a vacation, particularly to somewhere warm, is another way to avoid feeling SAD—however, that’s not always financially plausible (especially for students).
Although stress levels may be elevated during the winter season, it’s important that students take care of themselves, stay active, and avoid falling into a slump, no matter how hard that may be.
Like most things in life, this too shall pass.
