…and what to do about it.

Most of us are in the Northern Hemisphere, where it’s approaching winter- I always grumble when I notice that winter doesn’t technically begin until the third week of December, even though the weather’s in full swing by then- and the days are short. This lack of light is a pain in the neck from a practical perspective- less time to do chores, projects, and errands in daylight- and it has physiological effects.

Before I go any further on the subject, kindly note that I’m not any kind of medical professional and my only assistance with this article was a quick internet search because I couldn’t remember if chickens have a pineal gland or if their egg-laying is controlled by another mechanism. If you take the information here, and do something stupid with it, that’s on you. Use your judgment; you’re the one who has to bear the consequences.

And I hate that I’m obliged to say that.

Anyway.

Most vertebrates- including, yes, chickens- have a structure in our brains called a pineal gland. This structure responds to daylight, or lack thereof, and produces melatonin, a hormone that works on metabolism and circadian rhythms, according to the amount of light the person or animal is exposed to. It’s more complicated than that- people spend their entire careers studying the endocrine system- but the gist is, more light equals more activity. Less light equals a slowdown, thicker hair and fur, and hibernation behaviors.

In humans, this slowdown is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD- who says doctors don’t have a sense of humor?), seasonal depression, or, before we medicalized everything, the winter blues. It’s those times when you feel like you never fully wake up, your memory goes down the drain, and every little task is a huge effort. And, creativity? What’s that?

I’ve become increasingly solar powered as I get older, and I now understand why my mom spent all her free time in winter curled up on the couch with a book and a mug of tea; she didn’t have the energy for anything that wasn’t strictly necessary.

Unfortunately, modern life doesn’t stop because your brain slows down, so here are some tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years to help combat SAD:

– Light. All the light, but only at specific times of day. Because SAD is partially a circadian disorder, it interrupts your sleep cycle, and poor sleep makes everything else so much worse. To combat that, I’ve been using a full-spectrum light, commonly called a ‘happy light’, in the mornings. It sits on a table, my dresser, or any location a few feet away and not shining directly in my eyes. Some people look directly into theirs, but I’m wary of damaging my eyes, so I don’t do that. Because it works so well, turn off the happy lamp at least six hours before bedtime, so your eyes and brain have time to adjust and can tell you to fall asleep at the right time. It’s also wise to avoid screens for a couple of hours before bed for the same reason. I get around that by installing .flux, a blue light blocker, on my computer.

Natural light is also important. It helps regulate your pineal gland, and having light on your bare skin helps your body produce vitamin D- more on that later. Go outside and sit in the sun for fifteen minutes a day, or take a walk during your lunch break at work. I get my sunlight during walks or barn chores.

– Exercise. SAD is also a metabolic dysregulation, so you’re going to find yourself moving slower and piling on the pounds. It’s not just the Christmas cookies. Twenty or so minutes of light, steady exercise each day will improve a lot of things, and if you do it outside, you’re also getting your daily dose of natural light. If it’s too cold to be outside, vacuuming the house or going up and down the stairs a few times is a good substitute. You can also do yoga, pilates, or un-trendy plain stretching if you enjoy that type of exercise.

– Sleep. I should’ve put this one first. Sleep is incredibly important, and modern life is not conducive to good sleep. Most people need seven hours or more, and very few people can sleep for five hours or less for long periods of time without damaging their health. Go to bed at the same time; wake up at the same time- if you have to choose between the two, waking up at the same time is more important. Make sure your bedroom is as comfortable for you as you can make it- some people need complete darkness, others want a bit of light; some people need complete silence; others want background noise. Temperature, weight of blankets, mattress type, eating and drinking before bed, baseline pain levels- all contribute to sleep quality, and your tolerance for any and all of them is a very individual thing.

– Cleanliness. This is an odd one, but I’m adding it because this is the first time in almost a decade that I’ve lived in a house that wasn’t chock-full of allergens, and I’m feeling much better this year. So if you can dust and vacuum, that might improve your general health, which will make it easier to deal with your SAD brain. Reducing visual clutter in your space also gives a mood boost.

– Close loops. This is related to reducing clutter. When you see a little task that needs to be done, do it, so you can forget about it. By completing the task, you’re closing the loop in your brain of ‘see the task, say to self, “Hey, I need to do X,” then walk past, not doing the task, and remember at two in the morning, ad infinitum’. It’s tough when you don’t want to do anything, but if you can muster the energy to put the dishes away or pick up that sock you dropped next to the washer, it’ll make the bigger tasks feel more doable. Clearing the decks of unfinished projects is also helpful, and it’s best to do that before fall/winter. I don’t know about anybody else, but my mind has an unfortunate habit of reminding me of all the things I should be doing, at times when I’m least able to deal with them, like at two in the morning, or while I’m driving. Reducing the number of tasks/projects hanging over your head helps mitigate that phenomenon.

– And for the times you can’t reduce the number of chores, tasks, and projects, manage the mental overhead with: lists. So many lists. They’re nice to have at other times of the year, but in fall and winter, to-do lists (I have ones for daily, weekly, and ongoing projects) and shopping lists are essential. I have small writing, so I put them on post-it notes and carpet my desk with them. Add things as you think of them, because the SAD brain won’t remember that passing thought for long! Cross things off as you do them. My dad has a trick where he puts obvious tasks on his to-do list, like ‘eat breakfast’ so he can cross it off and feel like he’s got some momentum going.

– Diet and Supplements. These are edging into medical advice, so proceed with caution. A healthy diet (which is not one size fits all; find a combination of foods that’s healthy for you) can do wonders for your outlook, not just your health. I’ve also found that vitamin D capsules (5,000 units a day for me; YMMV), combined with fish oil or some other lipid (the fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K; your body can’t absorb them without the help of dietary fats), plus magnesium (go easy on this one if you’re doing this at home; magnesium affects blood pressure and muscle function. I’ve found that a cup of brewed cacao has what I need, plus it’s warm and sweet, perfect for a snowy day) help to ease my symptoms. I don’t always notice a difference when I’m taking that combination of dietary additions, but I definitely notice if I forget them. In the summer, I can get most of my vitamin D through skin exposure, but that doesn’t help with the other ones, and if you go around in shorts and a t-shirt during winter, people are going to look at you funny. Besides, it’s too cold for that in most places.

– Be kind to yourself. SAD is not a disease, precisely, but it is an illness; your body isn’t working the way you want it to. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lazy, and the silver lining to the cloud of SAD is, there’s a defined end date. The days start getting longer in later December, and while winter doesn’t retreat for a while afterward, the lack of light will slowly start to solve itself, with correlative effects on mood and brain function.

Now, some advice specific to writing:

Be in the habit of writing before winter hits. Yes, that’s useless advice now. Remember it for next year. If you start out with a specific time and place for writing, preferably a daily routine, it’ll be so much easier to keep that habit even when your brain is hibernating for the winter. I started my substack, The Wordsmith’s Forge, back in September because I knew I needed to have it established before the SAD hit. Now I can sit down at my computer at the same time every morning, turn on some background music, and stories come out of my fingers. Slower than usual, but they are coming, and they wouldn’t be, if I hadn’t gotten into that habit three months ago.

It occurs to me as I write this, that most of this information would’ve been more useful in say, September, so you could acquire the materials and form the habits needed to combat SAD, before they’re needed. The middle of December is the worst possible time to start a new habit. On the other hand, there’s still time to drop a word in your dearly beloved’s ear if you want a happy lamp for Christmas.

And let’s be honest- this is all good advice for any time of year; it’s just more necessary now than at other times of the year. And if you’re from Australia or South Africa, this is a great time to start preparing for next winter.

There’s little less than a fortnight to the start of Christmas, and I won’t see you until afterward, so, have a Merry Christmas, and be nice to yourself; this is a tough time of year for a lot of people, and not just because it’s dark all the time.