The Winter Blues Series: What are the "Winter Blues?"

I think it was one of my roommates who told me about seasonal affective disorder. She'd read an article describing it and thought it might be the reason I was depressed. I was in my 20s at the time, and had never heard of it. By the time I finished reading the article, I knew that was exactly what was wrong, and was so relieved to have an explanation. In the many years that followed, I tried a lot of things that didn't help. With Hygge, I have been reminded of a few things that did and found others that I hadn't heard or thought of before. Do you have winter blues, too? If you're not sure, this article will help you decide.

"Life naturally slows down in winter. The days grow shorter, light becomes scarce, and we respond by planting ourselves in front of the television or hiding under the covers to stay warm. But how do you know when a seasonal slump is a more serious problem?" ~Psycom.net

"The reduction in sunlight in winter can throw your biological clock out of whack and reduce levels of serotonin (a brain chemical that regulates your mood) and melatonin (a chemical which regulates sleep and mood)." ~Psycom.net

Defining Winter Blues

People often use the terms "winter blues" and "seasonal affective disorder" interchangeably, because both occur as a result of the lessening sunlight available that occurs as fall becomes winter and both make winter difficult for a lot of people who don't live near the equator or in places where the seasons don't change at all.

But the latter is an official diagnostic term for people who have symptoms of Major Depression during the winter. The former can include a few of the symptoms, some of them, most or all, but they haven't been diagnosed.

Many people experience the symptoms without being diagnosed and may go through several difficult winters before getting an official diagnosis.

“With SAD, one theory is that light entering the eye causes changes in hormone levels in the body. In our bodies, light functions to stop the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, making us wake up. It’s thought that SAD sufferers are affected by shorter daylight hours in the winter. They produce higher melatonin, causing lethargy and symptoms of depression.
If you’re going through a bout of winter blues, lack of daylight is probably playing a part."
~ Alison Kerry, from MIND

"When light hits the retina at the back of the eye, messages are sent to the hypothalamus - the part of the brain responsible for sleep, appetite, sex drive, temperature, mood and activity."If there's not enough light, these functions are likely to slow down and gradually stop," says Murphy, adding: Some people seem to need a lot more light than others for their body to function normally, and are therefore more likely to develop SAD symptoms when there are low levels of light."
~Beth Murphy, also from MIND

What are the Symptoms of Winter Blues
or Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Many people who experience winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder, experience one or more of the following...

(1) Having less energy or motivation for the normal things you do every day

(2) Craving carbohydrates and sweets & overeating so that weight gain is possible

(3) Wanting to sleep more or having difficulty getting up in the mornings or insomnia (or both)

(4) Feelings of irritability

(5) Feelings of depression or sadness, not enjoying the things you normally like to do

(6) Finding it difficult to concentrate on things, brain fog or foggy thinking

In the next post, we'll talk about recommendations for defeating winter blues (though nothing takes the place of consultation with or treatment by your health care provider) and in future posts, I'll share what Hygge is all about & how it can help you lessen or get rid of winter blues symptoms.

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine