As the days grow shorter and sunlight is scarce, it can have a real impact on our mental health. The winter blues and, to a more serious extent, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can be a real disruption to wellbeing. Being somewhat down and less motivated due to the lack of sun affects about nine in 10 people, according to the Winter Depression Research Clinic at Yale University.
The clinic says it is our bodies harking back to hunter-gatherer days, when the primary objective was to survive the winter through eating lots and staying warm. SAD’s symptoms are similar to major depression (persistent low mood, loss of interest, irritability, lethargy, despair, guilt, etc) but are tied to the changing seasons, with less sunlight in winter often disrupting the body’s internal clock and mood-regulating hormones. But there are a number of ways to help combat this, at home or with professionals.
One way is light therapy. Lizzie Bath, spa director at Ye Olde Bell, told the Express that treatments like Sabbia Med can “help alleviate the symptoms”. It simulates a full day of sun in a warm beach environment.
Bath said: “It offers a natural boost to mood, energy, and wellbeing and helps stimulate the body’s natural production of Vitamin D. Also, you get the full effects of a day at the beach, but without any of the harmful rays. It’s a gentle, therapist-free escape that brings the healing power of sunshine to any season.”
A similar outcome can be achieved with a sunlight lamp, which produces a cool-white light that mimics daylight at around 10,000 lux – about 20 times brighter than most indoor lighting. According to Which?, the well-known SAD light brands that conform to medical standards include Beurer, Lifemax and Lumie.
Andrew Colsky, founder of the National Sleep Centre, said sunlight is crucial to wake your brain up.
He said: “When we get good early morning sunlight, our body stops producing melatonin, which leads to all of our systems awakening. Think of your body as being controlled by a light-activated switch. Early morning sunlight turns your switch on and tells your body to stop producing melatonin, thus allowing you to be awake and alert.”
It’s crucial to get enough vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, during the winter too.
Vitamin D supplements are available over-the-counter and in supermarkets. The NHS advises taking a vitamin D supplement every day between October and March. You can also eat vitamin D-rich foods such as oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, egg yolks and mushrooms and foods with added vitamin D, like cow’s milk, plant-based milks, breakfast cereals, yoghurt and orange juice.
As is included in most mental health advice, the NHS also recommends regular outdoor exercise (such as walking during the day), eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, drinking seven glasses of water a day, and staying social.