The seasons are changing yet again! The days are getting shorter, leaves are falling off the trees, and the temperature is dropping. It marks the end of what has been a beautiful summer filled with outdoor activities, patio drinks, and bbq get-togethers. That being said, for many, this also marks the start of a debilitating disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder or commonly known as SAD. SAD is a type of depression that is generally brought on during season changes like summer to winter and winter into summer. Spring and Summer SAD is less common but brings along symptoms like trouble sleeping, poor appetite, weight loss, and anxiety.

People who suffer from fall and winter SAD report symptoms like oversleeping, appetite shifts (particularly craving carbohydrates), weight gain, and fatigue. Clinically, doctors believe the cause for SAD is an increase in melatonin production caused by the lack of sunlight exposure.

While I think the clinical answer is accurate, it doesn’t really provide a full understanding of the causes of SAD. I think there are some overlooked lifestyle factors that attribute to this form and all forms of depression. As a Holistic Exercise and Lifestyle coach, I try to look at the entire mind and body and find the source of the problem and then help clients find an integrated long term solution.

To get a better understanding, let’s look back at what happens physically during the fal and winter season change; the days get shorter and colder. There’s less time to get outside and absorb/enjoy the sunlight and it is less pleasant to be outside. This alone supports the official medical explanation of lower sun exposure, leading toward an increase in melatonin production. With increased melatonin, people are more likely to oversleep as well as over eat. The most common foods associated with overeating are heavily processed foods like potato chips and carbonated sodas. Excess consumption of processed foods have effects on the quality of sleep a person gets. Sleep, like water consumption, is probably one of the most underrated aspects of health considered when health issues arise. The main function of sleep is to repair and rebalance the body. When someone is over-consuming processed foods, especially before bed, this affects their sleep quality. Instead of focusing on detoxing organs, repairing tissues, and rebalancing neurochemicals, the body is stressed by the processing and elimination of heavily processed foods. This inevitably leads to a sleep cycle that is unproductive and often leaves the person feeling drained, regardless of the number of hours they actually get to sleep.

Finally, for many, the cold months tend to mean less social interaction. One of the most common causes of depression is social isolation. Social isolation is the symptomatic cherry on top. Having less interaction with friends and family allows the negative thoughts associated with depression a place to ruminate.

For those who are affected by SAD, what are your options? Well, if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts please seek immediate help.

Check out these resources:

If your symptoms are more manageable, these are my recommendations.

Exercise:

Exercise is an easy, healthy, and long term solution to SAD. For starters, just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to stop going outside. There are a plethora of outdoor activities you can participate in to get your vitamin D. To name a few, you could go skiing or snowboarding, ice skating, or even a playful snowball fight! If you’re not a fan of the outdoors, you also have the option to participate in some indoor activities. You could join a Crossfit gym or try some classes like Zumba or Body Pump. You could also just go to the gym and lift some weights.

All of these options are going to address many of the causes of SAD. Regular exercise is shown time and time again to help improve sleep quality. Many of the activities will get you sun exposure at the very least in transit to the destination of your chosen exercise activity. Crossfit style gyms and other group classes give you the exercise and social activity needed to help prevent the symptoms associated with SAD.

Mindfulness/ Meditation:

One of the common issues that occur with people suffering from depression is rumination. Rumination is repetitively going over a thought or problem without completion. In my own experienced, this is caused by letting our minds just run on autopilot and create a cycle of self-torture. Mindfulness and meditation practice gives you the opportunity to clear your mind of all the distractions and stop the autopiloted cycle of self-sabotage. If you have never meditated before and don’t know where to start there is an awesome app called Headspace. It’s a great place to start and is widely popular for its user-friendly animations and interface.

Another modality that I have found extremely helpful in my own life is the Wim Hof Method. This is a meditation and breathing technique used to help you create a deeper connection with your mind and body. Feel free to click on the link for more info on this life-altering practice!

Yoga:

Yoga is another great way to combat the effects of SAD. Traditional Yoga is broken down into three parts: meditation, asana, and pranayama. Asana is the part of Yoga we in the West tend commonly think about - the poses. Pranayama is a breathing practice that has many differeing techniques, some of which are similar to the Wim Hof Method. One of the great parts of Yoga is the availability to join a class. The group setting gives you the ability to get out of your home and spend some time with like-minded individuals and avoid the social isolation aspect. Like the Wim Hof Method, Yoga helps to reconnect the mind and body as a single cohesive unit.

As a Holistic Exercise and Lifestyle coach, these would be my go-to solutions to try to deal with, what can be, very debilitating symptoms. These aren’t your only options; there are plenty of ways to try to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder. These options are ways that I feel would provide both immediate and long term improvement. Combatting SAD may seem like a daunting task, especially mid-winter when the days are the shortest. It is for this reason that an active lifestyle should be implemented earlier on to avoid the reoccurrence of this seasonal disorder.

If you found this article helpful or know someone who would benefit from it, please share it! I’d also love to hear about your own personal tips and tricks that you use to stay positive! To be the first to receive free content like this click here and subscribe to my newsletter!

A Holistic Approach to Seasonal Affective Disorder