Winter Blues
As the official shortest day of the year approaches, there’s been an uptick in low energy, grumpiness, foul moods, and just a general sense of melancholy with nearly everyone I work with. This is very common, honestly even affects me on some days, and there are many ways to address it.
Step 1: It’s not just you.
We have a bad habit of personalizing anything mental health related. If I’m feeling down, it must be my fault. I didn’t do something right, or I’m not appreciative enough of all the good things in my life, or I’m just screwed up.
You’re not. This is common enough that entire articles are written about it. It’s NOT just you.
Seasonal depressive feelings strike a lot of us, usually picking up right around Daylight saving time (which obviously none of us control). Reduced daylight, leaving work to pitch black night, increasing cold temperatures with bitter winds, and a lot more has a very real, biological effect on us. Our bodies react, and where our bodies go our minds soon follow.
Realize that you’re not just “broken” because you have lower moods in the winter time. You’re human.
Step 2: Recognize the unique values of winter.
Winter isn’t just a janky copy of summer. If you think of winter as times you can’t do all the great, fun summer activities, you’re going to be disappointed because you’re only focusing on what has been lost. No, you can’t go for a late night swim to cool off in the middle of December, or stop to smell all the beautiful flowers in bloom, or spend a lazy afternoon outdoors grilling under the trees in shorts and tees.
You can, however:
Cuddle up on the couch with a warm blanket, hot beverage, and a friend (human or furry)
Stargaze right after dinner, and still get to bed at a reasonable hour
Enjoy the holiday lights and festivities
Go for a morning walk or run in the early daylight as the world first wakes up, and still get to work or school on time
Take in the sights of light glistening off the snow and ice
Snowball fights
Enjoy the quiet and still of the night without staying up late
And these are just a small handful of the things winter brings us. The image used for this post - with the tree lights reflecting off the frozen pond - comes from a festival of lights, taken around 8pm so I still had time to get back home to sleep for the next day. This image wouldn’t be possible in the summer, and to me it is breathtaking.
Winter brings us unique opportunities. Don’t focus on grieving summer - it will come back - focus on enjoying winter while we have it.
Step 3: Give yourself grace.
We do not reset as quickly or as easily as a clock. Our bodies have natural circadian rhythms, habits, we get into that don’t change overnight. Winter is a period when the environment around us is actively undergoing change far outside of our control, and we will need time to adjust to that environment.
Give yourself permission to be human, and to take some time to adjust. Most bouts of “winter blues” come and go pretty quickly - within a couple of days or less. If you need to take a “mental health day” or just sleep in a bit, this is perfectly healthy to do in moderation. In therapy, we call this “self-care.” It’s fine, even healthy, to give yourself time and space to recharge your own batteries.
Step 4: If needed, seek professional help.
I wouldn’t be a good clinician if I didn’t acknowledge that sometimes “winter blues” can become more serious. There are genuine disorders, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), triggered by the change in seasons. Likewise, individuals already dealing with mental health struggles, such as severe depression or anxiety, can see strong upticks in symptoms.
If you or someone you know is having ongoing, persistent “winter blues” lasting for a week or more, or shows signs of severe escalation in symptoms (isolation, not eating, binge eating, suicidal ideation, etc.), seek professional help. We are all unique, and we all need different things to help us live our best lives.
