Right now, I’m hearing a lot of this bad gratitude from my clients during the COVID-19 crisis.  The crisis has brought a bunch of losses, some monumental and some very small. With the small losses, we have a tendency to try to cancel them out with gratitude.  We feel ashamed to be mourning small losses when others are facing monumental ones.  ​

It's the beginning of August.  It's hot and sunny.  The days are still long and the pool is still open.  You might not want to think about the coming of the colder months, but if you're one of the 6% of Americans who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or one of the additional 14% of Americans who suffer from the less severe version, called the "winter blues", now is the time to work on managing that seasonal dip in mood. 

One sign of seasonal depression include sleeping more than usual during the winter months.  Most people do sleep more than usual, but within an hour of their normal sleep duration.  Those with SAD sleep on average 2.5 hours more than in the summer months, and those with winter blues sleep 1.7 hours more.

​Consider using a therapeutic lamp.  Set up the lamp somewhere you will find it convenient to use it daily for 20-30 minutes.  It needs to be a very bright (10,000 lux) lamp that can be used at a comfortable distance (some smaller lights need to be very close to you in order to expose you to the proper amount of light.)  Start using it now, before the days become short and your symptoms become noticeable.  The best time to use it is first thing in the morning.  If you want, you can even plug it with a smart plug and set it to wake you up in the morning (it's very bright, so this will be somewhat of a rude awakening, but you're pretty much guaranteed not to sleep in!)
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Note:  if you have been diagnosed with a bipolar mood disorder, you should talk to your psychiatrist about the risks of using light therapy.  In those with bipolar mood illness, light therapy can trigger a manic episode.

The mood symptoms associated with seasonal changes can vary from person to person.  While low energy and sadness are common, anxiety and irritability are also observed.   

Exercise is a very good way to counteract low mood.  Daily exercise in the morning can help wake you up and get you energized for the day.  If the morning feels too hard, exercising in afternoon or early evening can help boost your mood later in the day.  Aerobic exercise is particularly good for anxiety and irritability.  Strength training has been shown to improve mood and self-esteem.

One particularly powerful use of exercise is to combine it with volunteering.  Try signing up for a physically active volunteering program like our local City Snow Partners, which brings together volunteers with local households in need of snow removal.  Or just take a walk around your own neighborhood and see who might need their leaves raked or snow shoveled.  

If you're isolating yourself in the winter months, you're not alone.  When the evenings get darker and the weather gets colder, we all tend to spend less time socializing with others.  

n the summer months, social activities abound.  But as it gets colder, you have to make a conscious effort to stay social.  This is particularly true for introverts, who want nothing more than to spend an evening at home with a book.  If that's you, it's okay to indulge in some quiet evenings.  Try to strike a balance, planning for a few different social outings each week, alternated with days at home.  Recurrent social engagements, like book clubs, bowling leagues and church functions help to keep you in a routine of being social.  For days when you're feeling like you'd rather not go, just make a deal that you'll attend the first half hour of a social event.  Once you're there, you may feel like staying.

It's natural to have a craving for carb-dense foods in the autumn months, leading up to a time when food used to be much more scarce.  This can lead to eating processed foods that lead you to feel more fatigued and foggy-headed.  

Look for comfort foods that are consistent with a healthy diet.  Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory food pyramid is a good place to start, in terms of finding foods that will promote, rather than detract, from our overall health.  Small changes can lead you to feel much better, such as swapping a baked sweet potato for fries, or guacamole for cheese dip.  Having a baked apple with cinnamon, or a pumpkin custard, make great fall desserts.  If this is a particular area of struggle for you, you may want to consult with a local dietitian to help you adapt your favorite comfort foods to healthier versions.  No matter what diet you're choosing, mindful eating strategies are also important.  Mindful strategies include:  eat only when you're hungry, eat slowly, enjoy each bite and stop when you are no longer hungry.

When the days get shorter, we reach for things that will boost our sense of pleasure.  If you're reaching for alcohol, it's important to check in to see if your drinking is reaching a problematic level.  The CDC considers moderate drinking up to 1 drink a day for women and up to 2 drinks a day for men.  It's important to note that many mixed drinks contain much more than one drink's worth of alcohol.  You might be surprised to learn how little alcohol the average American drinks, with 60% of Americans drinking one drink or less per week.  

What's the harm in drinking?  Heavy drinking makes depression worse over time. Those who drink often find their anxiety has worsened by the next morning, leading to an increased urge to drink again the next day.  Drinking can drive a wedge between you and your partner, or between you and your children.  Over time, drinking can lead to serious health, legal and financial consequences.

Changing alcohol habits can be easy for some and nearly impossible for others.  If you feel you may need help, find a local AA chapter, or look into the Smart Recovery program for a secular alternative to AA.  If you have a loved one who drinks, consider going to Al-Anon, a support group for friends and relatives of alcoholics.

For some, seasonal depression reaches a moderate to severe level.  If you're noticing that you're having trouble eating, you're having persistent difficulty sleeping, your having panic attacks or thoughts of self-harm, it's time to seek professional help.  Find a therapist who can help you address the behavioral aspects of this condition and consider scheduling with a medical doctor to get a physical exam and medication consultation.

I used to view the month of January as a nemesis.  I viewed it as a cold, dark month bereft of any good holidays or other redeeming features.  When the calendar would roll around to the month, I'd grit my teeth and tell myself that, once the month was over, I'd gotten past the worst of winter.  At best, I viewed it as a challenge to be overcome.

Several years ago, I decided that I'd had enough of hating January.  I decided to shift my thinking about it.  After all, the hours of sunlight are increasing all month.  For that reason, I labeled January as the start of "very early spring."   I began to use the month to do a deep "spring cleaning" and  rearranged my home.  Once I was done with that, I treated myself to pouring over seed catologs and planning my garden.  Before I knew it, January was starting to grow on me.  I began to look forward to the month.  Now, it feels like this great opportunity to get a fresh start and an early jump on spring.

What's your least favorite month?  Can you think of a way to reframe it?  Or, at least,  better ways to care for yourself during that month?  Some ideas:

1)  Make a list of projects to save for that month (e.g. reorganizing the attic, refinishing a piece of furniture, going through closets for items to donate.)
2)  Find ways to keep your body moving, regardless of the weather.  Exercise is an essential part of good mental health.  Think about joining a gym or buying some exercise equipment for home.
3)  Find positive associations for the month.  Maybe you love reading.  Make yourself a cozy reading spot and a list of books to read.  Buy some tea or snacks.  If you're a gardener, like me, sign up to get some new seed catologs.  No interests coming to mind?  Maybe you could use the month to start a new hobby.  Consider trying my husband's 28 day challenge. 
4)  Get outdoors.  This is a hard one, but a little time in nature does a lot of good.  It's easy to talk yourself out of going for a walk if you're not properly dressed for the weather.  Invest in some clothes that work for your hard month.
5)  Practice self-acceptance.  You may not totally succeed in finding a way to enjoy your tough month.  You may fall short of your goals for exercise or getting outdoors.  That's okay.  Criticizing yourself will only make you less likely to succeed.  Instead, revise your goals and re-dedicate yourself to good self-care. 

For some, seasonal changes trigger more than the blues or irritabilty.  If seasonal changes trigger moderate to severe mood or anxiety issues for you, please seek help from a mental health professional.  Anniversaries of loss and trauma can contribute to this.  Working with a therapist can help you understand your seasonal triggers and better overcome them.