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Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

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Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#31

Post by psychphysic »

b3morales wrote: post #28
psychphysic wrote: post #8

It's worth noting (or maybe it isn't) that there there is scant evidence for SAD. The confirmation bias is strong here maybe in me and others, the solutions are all dripping in snake oil. It's really quite bizarre but amount of cold and darkness doesn't correlate well with low mood. Frankly I've not seen anyways provide an reasonable explanation for it.

People self-report feeling "down" in various ways in the winter months. The experience is happening to them regardless of whether we know the causes or solutions. Perhaps there are in fact many different things that are manifesting in similar ways. Dismissing the experiential phenomenon doesn't get us any closer to figuring that out.

Yes this is the biggest misconception about depression.

The idea that it is synonymous with feeling "down" and more or less depression is just how "down" you feel.

Depression is much more than just that feeling. And not all unpleasant feelings are pathological.

So the question becomes, why is it in modern times people no long feel able to say "I feel down" or "I don't like winter". Instead they need to wrap it in a medical term that appears unsupported by evidence.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#32

Post by daniel-cussen »

poulsbohemian wrote: post #29

Something that I think gets overlooked in term of mental health this time of year is the ways in which the changing season affects economics. I fully admit - I have zero data to share here to back up my point, and I hope someone out there has studied this - but it seems to me that: -- There's a lot of seasonal work that depends on good weather: ag, construction, even real estate. Work slows or is physically harder in…

No post body was provided.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#34

Post by theGnuMe »

neuronsong wrote: post #26
raintrees wrote: post #21

For me, powering up my vitamin D3 consumption eliminated most of the symptoms of SAD. I now cruise around 4000 IUs per day or so. Based on my reading, taking too much results in a return of the symptoms, and I have not reached that level, and feel no need to go higher. Everyone has their own, unique body, best to be cautious and aware, if one experiments. Keep a journal or check in with a close confidant. This is gen…

This is exactly what I do as well. I am in midwest (UT and CO). 4000 IU per day keeps SAD away. Do the research to find out what works for you. I tried tanning but that was too much of a pain and really bad for the skin. Being outside worked as well. However, I am inside a ton. Vitamin D3 supplements fit the bill.

UT and CO are considered part of the West. You got to get to Nebraska to be Midwestern. It's a census designation mainly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#35

Post by Obscurity4340 »

minhmeoke wrote: post #25

One fairly easy way to reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is to expose yourself to 30 to 45 minutes of sunlight early in the morning by taking a walk outside within an hour after you wake up; this has multiple other health benefits: - https://selecthealth.org/blog/2020/07/7-health-benefits-of-s... Getting a lot of sunlight in the morning is also a good way to reduce jetlag by resetting your circadian rhythm to…

Family pressures is definitely an underscrutinised aspect of the end of year slowdown. There is a palpable societal and cultural prerogative that you make yourself not only available to but are expected to buy shit for people you may want nothing to do with—ever.

Particularly people who live shitty lifestyles who expect you to "come over" and stay with them and put up with their domestic insanity.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#36

Post by strontian »

deathtrader666 wrote: post #27
strontian wrote: post #16

30 minute walks at dawn cured my moderate-severe SAD.

But what if there's no sun? Like winters in the UK?

Hm, not sure how effective it would be in ‘worse’ climates. I’ve found it to be helpful on grey days as well.

I also use a Lumenator (https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/hC2NFsuf5anuGadFm/how-to-bui...) which I think of as icing on the cake. Perhaps ‘cure’ is too strong a word, but it’s been the most effective thing other than leaving the hemisphere for someplace sunnier which was my previous approach.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#38

Post by steve_adams_86 »

deathtrader666 wrote: post #27
strontian wrote: post #16

30 minute walks at dawn cured my moderate-severe SAD.

But what if there's no sun? Like winters in the UK?

It doesn't seem to matter here in Victoria, Canada. Morning walks are a thing I adopted in the last year and it has been transformative for my general mood and energy.

I walk before dawn quite often, and while I don't get a lot of light (especially on those days with low, thick, dark clouds), the simple act of moving, breathing fresh air, having routine, etc... It seems to make a tremendous difference.

Some sources claim the lack of light isn't too problematic, but that aiming to get 15m or so (even if it's very overcast) around 7:30am in mid-winter could be totally sufficient to stabilize your circadian rhythm and help mitigate SAD.

This has been my experience so far this winter, but I'm only one person, I've completely changed my diet, I'm exercising more, etc. I can't narrow down exactly what helped. I can say that when I didn't change the other variables, morning walks were making a significant difference.

I'll also admit that the option to do this is a luxury in a sense. A couple years ago my youngest would have been waking too early for this to be possible, and before that for a long time his brothers were much the same. Parents of young ones will often struggle to maintain this kind of rhythm. It's worth aspiring to though, though. When mine get up early I just bring them with me, but they're old enough to walk and all of that at this point.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#39

Post by Spivak »

Obscurity4340 wrote: post #35
minhmeoke wrote: post #25

One fairly easy way to reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is to expose yourself to 30 to 45 minutes of sunlight early in the morning by taking a walk outside within an hour after you wake up; this has multiple other health benefits: - https://selecthealth.org/blog/2020/07/7-health-benefits-of-s... Getting a lot of sunlight in the morning is also a good way to reduce jetlag by resetting your circadian rhythm to…

Family pressures is definitely an underscrutinised aspect of the end of year slowdown. There is a palpable societal and cultural prerogative that you make yourself not only available to but are expected to buy shit for people you may want nothing to do with—ever. Particularly people who live shitty lifestyles who expect you to "come over" and stay with them and put up with their domestic insanity.

Obviously this doesn’t apply to kids who are stuck with their parents and some family dynamics are complicated and awkward but if you’re not dependent on your family for financial support or whatever then just don’t. Or if they don’t suck that bad then fearlessly set boundaries for your time and mental health. Once you’re an adult and your parents age the power dynamic in most families flips where they want your company way more than you want theirs.

Also found family is an absolute blessing around the holidays. I’m surrounded by people who love me more and less conditionally than my own family.

Don’t wait for society to deem it acceptable to ghost your terrible family, just do it. Be the change. You won’t be alone, trust me. You would be shocked at the number of nuclear families who cut out their extended family and have “family-friend Christmas” and even more than that cut out one of the sides.

Re: Winter Is Here: Slowing Down to Fight SAD

#40

Post by Frummy »

As someone living in Sweden, for me getting as much sunlight as possible and taking 5000 IU vitamin D per day is pretty good at staving off the bad aspects of winter. Some short meditation sessions here and there gives me the clarity to avoid too much internet time wasting
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