Ways to brighten up your life during dark days of winter 

The clocks go back this Saturday night, heralding the start of the short days and long nights. But there is no need to feel SAD -  there are a lot of steps you can take to beat the blues 

Picture: iStock 

It’s common for us all to feel a little downcast at this time of year, but there are some for whom the onset of winter means something far more serious. These are people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (or SAD).

Tipperary-based counsellor Majella Kennedy has clients who struggle with this condition. She draws a firm line between it and the ‘winter blues’.

“It’s normal to feel a little down during the colder, darker months,” she says. “But SAD is a form of depression that affects us much more. It affects daily life, including how we feel and think.”

SAD was formally recognised by the American Psychiatric Association in 1987. Many studies followed and in 1999 a review carried out by researchers at University Hospital Groningen in The Netherlands concluded that while some 20% of us experience a dip in our mood during the winter, SAD affects up to 10% of the population of Europe, its prevalence increasing the further we are from the equator.

It is now understood that this is due to a lack of exposure to daylight, a problem exacerbated by our modern lifestyles. “Historically, we worked outside but since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the percentage of us working outdoors in natural daylight has decreased from 75% to 10%,” says Kennedy.

“This means that in the winter, most of us start work when it’s dark and finish work when it’s dark. Our bodies see very little daylight.”

How lack of daylight affects our bodies

Scientists believe this lack of exposure to daylight affects the production of major neurotransmitters in our bodies. The most important of these are the hormones serotonin (moderates anxiety levels and mood) and melatonin (regulates sleep patterns).

Studies such as the one carried out at the University of Basel in Switzerland in 2019 prove that darkness triggers our brains to make melatonin, which makes us drowsy in anticipation of sleep. This means that being stuck indoors during the dark days of winter can result in melatonin levels that are too high and energy levels that are too low.

Research shows that our serotonin levels are also directly affected by our exposure to sunlight. A 2002 study by the Baker Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia measured levels of chemicals flowing from the brain and found that people had higher serotonin levels on bright sunny days than on cloudy ones.

“Serotonin is known as the feelgood hormone and having lower levels of it in winter can pull our mood down,” says Kennedy.

Your genes may determine how susceptible you are. In 1993, a study by the National University Hospital in Reykjavik revealed that the prevalence of SAD in Iceland was far lower than in areas at similar latitude in America. Subsequent studies found that even when Icelanders moved to areas with high rates of SAD such as Canada, their rates remained lower than their peers.

The reason they suggested is that Icelanders have a variant of the gene that controls serotonin. That variant causes serotonin production to increase over the winter months, which may be what protects Icelanders from SAD.

Consider bright-light therapy

The main symptoms of SAD are a persistent low mood during autumn and winter. People lose interest in activities they usually enjoy. They feel stressed, irritable, anxious, and sad. Their sleep patterns are disrupted. They often crave carbohydrates and eat too much. Their energy levels are low. They have trouble concentrating. And they withdraw from social activities.

“These are typical signs of depression but the fact that it’s seasonally based is what differentiates SAD,” says Kennedy. “The low mood coincides with winter, gets progressively worse and only begins to lift with the reappearance of spring.”

You need to have experienced these symptoms for two or more consecutive years to be clinically diagnosed with SAD. “So if you think you might suffer from it, focus on patterns you have noticed over the past two winters,” says Kennedy.

Before you decide that the only way of dealing with SAD is by hibernating for the winter, rest assured there are options for countering it.

Phototherapy, or bright-light therapy, uses a SAD-specific ultraviolet filtered light to artificially stimulate the brain into reducing the production of melatonin and increasing its production of serotonin.

It’s an effective treatment, with a 2012 study by the University Hospital Groningen showing that it diminished depressive symptoms in up to 75% of patients within a three-week period.

Simple lifestyle changes can make a difference too. “The best free resource for SAD is natural sunlight,” says Kennedy. “Getting more of it can help improve symptoms so try to get out for short breaks in the daylight.”

The HSE website advises us to make our home and work environments as light and airy as possible. Examples of this include sitting near windows when you’re indoors and keeping windows and blinds open until it’s dark outside.

Exercise can alleviate symptoms too. “It releases serotonin, endorphins, and other feelgood chemicals,” says Kennedy. “Taking exercise outside in the daytime makes it even more effective.

Role of the sunshine vitamin

Taking a vitamin D supplement may also have an impact. A 2014 study by researchers at the University of Georgia found that low levels of the ‘sunshine’ vitamin were associated with a greater risk of SAD.

Dr Daniel McCarthy, a lecturer in human nutrition and dietetics at the Technological University of Dublin, believes it’s worth ensuring you get enough vitamin D even if it’s not a factor in SAD.

“Vitamin D is produced in response to UVB while the melatonin which plays a part in SAD is controlled by white light,” he says. “Both are found in sunlight but at different wavelengths. I’m not surprised studies have found low vitamin D levels in those with SAD, but one doesn’t necessarily cause the other. However, because of vitamin D’s role in enhancing the immune system, people should always keep their levels of the vitamin high.”

We shouldn’t forget the basic steps we should all take to keep our mental health on an even keel.

“Staying connected with family and friends, taking up a new hobby, learning something new, and eating small well-balanced meals throughout the day with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables; these are all things we’re advised to do to stay healthy,” says Kennedy.