November 1, 2021, Jennie Johnson, RN-BC, PhD
Living for a Healthy Heart, LLC
On November 7th., we will once again reset our clocks for Daylight Savings Time. As the saying goes, we should…spring forward…fall back. It will get darker one hour earlier. In northern Idaho the darkest days will begin at 3:45 pm. We seem to cope with the darkness better during the holidays but immediately after New Year’s Eve, the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) often sets in.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the Winter Blues?
Merriam-Webster defines seasonal affective disorder as depression that tends to recur chiefly during the late fall and is associated with shorter hours of daylight. The main cause is lower levels of the feel good hormone serotonin in the brain. You may be born with a body that doesn’t make enough or doesn’t allow it to circulate long enough in the brain to get the mood elevation benefit.
What are the Symptoms of Low Levels of Serotonin?
Common symptoms are fatigue, sleep problems, loss of libido, anxiety, irritability, and inability to cope with stress. Panic attacks, obsessive compulsive behaviors, increased sensitivity to pain and migraines may also occur. Cravings for carbohydrates and sugar lead to harmful binge eating to lift serotonin levels but work only briefly with devastating consequences. The excess weight leads to poor self-esteem and depression increasing social isolation.
How Does Light Therapy Reduce the Symptoms?
A phenomenal book that I highly recommend for people who suffer from SAD is Brown and Robinson’s When your Body Gets the Blues: The Clinically Proven Program for Women Who Feel Tired, Stressed and Eat too Much. While its written primarily for women, men will find the concepts helpful as well.
The authors recommend 20 minutes of being outdoors 5 days per week… no matter rain, sleet snow or sun to increase light entering the retina of the eyes. However, you should NOT look directly into the sun as that will tremendously damage the eyes but rather let the light filter in as you’re walking.
Simply put, the light stimulates the brain to produce more serotonin which will help you feel better. They also suggest increasing interior light as much as possible by placing furniture near windows, opening curtains, turning on lights and trimming bushes that block windows.
As an example, while outside on a bright sunny day, you may get 10,000 units of LUX light. However, a dim inside room may provide only 50 units of LUX light, while a bright office may provide 400 LUX. Some people may need to utilize artificial light to improve serotonin levels.
The authors describe the various types of artificial light available and how to use them safely. Do some homework and check with your healthcare provider. Select artificial light with the lowest ultraviolet light (UV) as possible to avoid harmful skin damage. If you suffer from a Manic disorder, the excess light could make your condition worse so do speak with your doctor.
I asked my Social Ministry Committee members how they dealt with Idaho’s dark winters. Answers included: traveling to sunny places, volunteering in a local school to be around children, starting a new hobby of painting, and keeping busy with church needs.
Personally, as the darkness lingers in our rural setting, I begin to get sleepy around 7 or 8 pm so I’ve had to come up with strategies to stay awake until bedtime. Each year I do something different such as needle work, sewing, writing a book or simply catching up on interesting television programs.
You can also speak with your healthcare provider about medications that may help you get through it. Brown and Robinson recommend vitamin therapy to enhance serotonin levels as well. If you suffer from the Winter Blues…try something new this year, keep busy and seek people out even if you don’t feel like it. You will feel better and the dark days will seem shorter as you look forward to spring.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life (John 8:12)
Sources:
Brown, Marie-Anette & Jo Robinson, When your Body Gets the Blues: The Clinically Proven Program for Women Who Feel Tired, Stressed and Eat Too Much. Danvers: Rodale Books, 2002.
“Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” Mayo Clinic, October 25, 2017, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651
Dee Dee Stiepen, “Lift your Mood with Light Therapy,” Mayo Clinic Minute, January 1, 2021, https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-lift-your-mood-with-light-therapy/
“Light Therapy,” Mayo Clinic, February 8, 2017, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/light-therapy/about/pac-20384604
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I’m a Christian nurse who helps people navigate the murky waters of healthcare.
ã All rights reserved 2021, Jennie E. Johnson, RN-BC, PhD
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