Blue Monday and Winter blues: why are we so SAD during the winter?
January - it's that time of the year again: the days are dark and cold, bank accounts cry for help, Christmas is over, Coronavirus is still around and (if you live in the UK, sorry) we just left the EU and we are in the middle of a third national lockdown! How not to feel down, with all these things going on at the same time? It sounds like a challenge, and it certainly is.
What is SAD and why is it revelant?
SAD means Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression. It's very important to keep this in mind: SAD is not just feeling a bit down, it's a disorder with very specific symptoms that can have a huge impact on daily life:
- a persistent low mood
- a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
- irritability
- feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
- feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
- sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning
- craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
(Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/)
SAD affects 3 out of 100 people in the UK, but a research commissioned by The Weather Channel and YouGov suggests that about 29% of adults experience symptoms of SAD during the winter.
People who already have mental health issues are more likely to be affected by this. Moreover, women seem to be more at risk than men.
(Source: http://weathergroup.com/SAD%20research%20UK)
When someone mentions “Blue Monday” I usually think about the song (I like both the original one by New Order and the brilliant cover by Julien-K).
This idea was born not too long ago, in 2004, when the psychologist Cliff Arnall suggested that the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year according to a formula he created. This concept has been challenged my many experts, and some of them pointed out that the reasons why people are more likely to feel down during the month of January are the weather and SAD. So, Blue Monday may be just a “sensationalist nonsense”, but SAD is an illness that must be taken seriously.
So, is all of this a real thing or not?
What if I tell you that maybe we tend to feel depressed because we expect to feel down during the winter? This is called Self-fulfilling prophecy, it's when a belief or expectation becomes true simply because the person believes it will. Our expectations can have an impact on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. In this way, what we feel or think could influence our actions and lead to the expectation to become true. So, in the case of winter blues, if we expect to feel down, especially in January and on Blue Monday, it's more likely that we will feel that way! And I'll tell you another thing: if you keep seeing adverts or hearing people saying that it's almost Blue Monday and you will feel depressed, you will unconsciously think that this is the way you should feel! I'm not saying that you will feel amazing despite of winter, Coronavirus and Brexit, but keep in mind that you might be influenced by people or society's expectations and feel rubbish because of them. Just question all of that.
Ok then, what should I do?
Given that this winter is a very challenging one, as the road to spring looks even longer than in the past, it's wise to be prepared. How?
- Follow a schedule: plan some nice (and allowed) things to do, something simple like a relaxing face-mask (I mean facial skincare of course!!) or reading a book with your friends on Zoom (I did that, it's fun!). Try to plan your week and put something pleasant to do every day. Following a schedule will help you to avoid feeling bored or overwhelmed, whether you are working like mad or being furloughed.
- Use your happy hormones: some hormones regulate your mood and if you understand how they work you could be able to feel happier, by doing some very simple activities. I talk about it here → HAPPY HORMONES
- Ask for help: if this is not enough and you think you need to speak to a professional, please get in touch with loved ones who can support you, call your GP or speak to charities like Mind and The Samaritans (see the links below).
Thanks for this article! In particular, I find it's key to mention the Self-fulfilling prophecy - it's a tricky one as it really is true that our thoughts, feelings and behavior are deeply interconnected.
ReplyDeleteSomething else that could help coping with SAD is joining a meditation group - there are a few offering free meditation sessions for free (they can be found on Eventbrite for example).
Sam