Seasonal Affective Disorder

By Anne Standfest

It is that time of year again…

When you are confused about why you’re a little sadder than usual.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a disorder that typically affects people between Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. As the seasons change, your biological clock responds to the changes in sunlight patterns. This shift can cause your biological clock to fall out of step with your daily schedule. Individuals who experience SAD have a difficult time adjusting to the shortage of sunlight during the winter months. SAD symptoms are most pronounced in January and February when the days are shortest. For students, especially those who are just striking out on their own and still learning independence, SAD can hit especially hard, particularly at the college level. Unlike high schoolers who have to be up early for school, college students often stay up late and sleep in, hence making their exposure to sunlight minimal during the winter.

People experience different symptoms before actually becoming depressed. These can include weight gain, decreased energy, and difficulty concentrating. As college students it is pretty difficult to continue on with our lives with these obstacles. Seasonal Affective Disorder is extremely common in college students regardless of their mental health status, so tips on how to reduce SAD are for everyone. 

A lightbox can be an affordable and effective way to get rid of some of your SAD. A lightbox literally mimics the outdoor sunlight, causing a chemical change in your brain that lifts your mood as well as easing other symptoms of SAD. Lightboxes should be used for about 20 to 30 minutes when you wake up in the morning and again during the day as needed. A typical light box will expose you to 10,000 lux of light while emitting as little as UV as possible. This is an inexpensive option that is easily accessible to college students. It is something we are able to use these on our own time, in our own space, and can improve day to day life. 

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, even when it is hardest, is extremely critical. During the winter most of us steer towards fried, warm comfort foods and steer away from the gym. As it is hard enough to get out of bed for class, it can feel even more impossible to get out of bed for the gym when no one is making you go. However, fresh air, exercise, and a healthy diet are all ways to minimize symptoms of SAD. Doing these activities when it is hardest can give you the biggest reward. 

Regardless of your personal and mental health, Seasonal Affective Disorder is normal and it makes sense. There is a reason people feel this way and it is important to take care of our bodies. This is NOT a failure, and nothing is wrong with you. For college students it is even easier to get symptoms, and making little changes to improve our everyday feelings could decrease the high percentage of college students that experience SAD. Use your friends as a resource because if anyone is able to get you out of bed on a hard day, it’s your best friend. Encourage each other to get out and stay active in order to help each other out in the times when our bodies might be struggling to adjust to this time of year.