Yes, Autumn Can Make You Feel S.A.D

Here’s s How To Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder

Autumn is a challenging season: days are getting shorter, colder, and, in many cases, more stressful, which can make you feel tired and lethargic. It’s not simply just sadness. Your Autumn blues could, in fact, mean you’re suffering from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and, with the ongoing pandemic, managing this condition can get harder than usual. Here’s the breakdown of the best ways to treat it in the time of COVID-19.

What is seasonal affective disorder?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression that gets worse from the lack of sunlight in fall and winter. Experts say that more than 5% of the U.S. population suffers from this condition, with women being more likely to be affected than men. SAD symptoms can vary from mild to severe, making it difficult to concentrate, be productive, and derive pleasure from the activities you once enjoyed.

How to treat seasonal affective disorder?

Some of the best ways to treat SAD include light therapy, antidepressant medications, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).

Light therapy is the first-line treatment experts recommend. It involves sitting in front of a light therapy box that emits a very bright light every day for a short amount of time. Studies show that even after the first session with exposures as short as 20 minutes patients see an immediate improvement in mood. Additionally, supplementing with vitamin D3 may also help improve symptoms and increase serotonin production.

Severe cases may require additional treatment, with CBT being the most effective drug-free option. Therapy can help people identify appropriate coping plans based on their needs. Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs), can also be beneficial in some cases.

What to do when you’re feeling sad without having SAD

Even if you’re not affected by SAD, the spread of the virus and the newly-enforced lockdowns in some countries are plausible causes of worry. These simple practices can help you cope with them:

• Don’t forsake your usual routine

It’s easy now to abandon your normal schedule and fall into a more lethargic lifestyle, which could have negative consequences on your mental health. Acting normal can make you feel normal. Better follow your normal routine, go to bed at around the same time every day, take a shower, take care of your body, and eat your food for fuel, not comfort.

• Embrace Simple Pleasures

Since many things are getting canceled it’s important to keep yourself entertained at home. Reading a book, singing, drawing, cooking, or playing table games with your partner are some of the simplest yet fun things you can do.

• Stay Away From News

Staying at home means having more free time on your hands, and spending all of it on over-researching the pandemic is not helpful for your mental health. Try to limit the time you allocate for checking news and be aware of fake about the pandemic.

• Lose Your Grip

Thinking obsessively about the current situation can give you a false sense of control but will, eventually, make you feel even more stressed. Allows yourself to let it go and accept the uncertain future.