It’s the end of January and winter has just begun and I’m already in a SAD state! When I say SAD, I mean it literally. I’m pretty sure I fit the bill for the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) definition. That acronym could not be any more perfect. I think I really should reconsider living in the Northeast.
I never really thought too much about this disorder. I knew it existed and what it was but I don’t think I ever considered myself to fall into that category. IDK though…. I think maybe I am a SAD diagnosis and I never really wanted to admit it. People at risk for SAD? Women more than men and increases with age. Less sunlight and shorter days are thought to be linked to a chemical change in the brain…
Lately, I have just been feeling blah…. Don’t really know why? Don’t really have a lot to complain about. My gratefulness gauge is on high. So why do I feel so blue? I really could just stay in bed. I don’t have a lot of motivation. I’m not a fan of the cold. I do like the snow but only for short durations. And speaking of snow…. here comes the storm of all storms according to the news… My God, don’t we live in New England? Are we not supposed to get snow?
We have been hearing about this storm that is going to affect 40 or so more states for seems like days. I find it truly amazing how they try to put the fear of God into every one of us. People are out preparing for what seems like the apocalypse. Should we be prepared? I’m thinking yes but can we also be realistic?
So I guess my winter doldrums are going to continue for quite some time unless I can find a way to find some warm sunshine. I personally am more affected by this feeling of despair when the weather is cold and the skies are gray. I didn’t realize that this disorder has both a Fall and a Spring Onset. I know when the sun is shining it invigorates me and I feel happier.
Move? Does where you live really play into the prevalence of depression? Well actually it does. According to this Forbes article https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/winter-blues-states/ Alaska ranks the worst and Hawaii the least affected by depression. Great support in why I should be in a state with a higher percentage of sunshine!!
I don’t know about you all but living in the Northeast the winters just seem so long. As I said the snow is pretty for a little while but then it becomes a chore. I can see why old people gravitate down south during these months. It makes so much sense if you can actually afford to have two places of residence. But for most this is not the case and a choice has to be made.
For now, for various reasons, I’m going to be present in New England. I’m going to have to find ways to deal with these winter doldrums. I found a few tips so maybe I need to start implementing them! Check this out if you need a few suggestions: https://health.unl.edu/10-tips-beat-winter-blues-plus-difference-between-sad-and-reoccurring-low-mood/
Hopefully, you are not affected by the winter doldrums and just LOVE the cold and the short gray days. And I do hope you are truly prepared for either a massive winter storm OR an overblown story that turns out to be a dud… I guess we will just have to wait and see! I’m hoping it is not any worse than last weeks storm!!
Natalie
January has always ranked in the bottom third of months of the year for me personally. Its major holiday is the very first day of the month and after that it feels like there’s just not much to look forward to (for the month at least I mean I guess we have the new whole year ahead?). I know I am not unique in my sentiment for the month, we’ve collectively even given this particular melancholy its own name: The January Blues.
I also have found myself to experience SAD, as my coauthor describes. Sometimes I wonder if what my younger self thought were symptoms of depression were really a more accurate diagnosis of SAD. Since about 17, I always felt my anxiety and my apathy (I know, quite the contradiction) to peak October through March. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day tend to take away some of the mundane, so the post holiday Christmas January Blues hit hard.
When I was 17 struggling with these feelings, my pediatrician told me most people are Vitamin D deficient and to start there with trying to fix my mental and physical health. As I get older, I really do lean into that being some of the best medical advice I’ve ever been given. As I am a lover of experiencing all four seasons in the northeast, I am in agreement that the shortness of our winter days in the northeast is nothing less than depressing. There are ways to add in some sunshine artificially; I’ve been using an alarm clock that mimics a sunrise to wake you with light rather than sounds (supposodly much better for our circadian rhythms). My supervisor also gave me one of those full spectrum lights that I keep on my desk at work.
My other method for battling SAD and general humdrum of life is to make conscious efforts to add is whimsy. Whimsy by definition is playful, quaint, or fanciful behavior or humor. Months ago I watched a very detailed reel of a woman explaining how in adulthood our lives lack what she described as whimsy. When we are in school (elementary through college), there is plenty of built in whimsy to our lives. There’s spirit weeks, events, breaks, and plenty of other celebrations outside our list of federal holidays. In adulthood, every day can easily become the same and living becomes waiting for the weekend or the next vacation.
I can see my affinity for my birthday, spooky season of Halloween, Christmas, and any other seasonal fixation is my craving for this whimsy. So for 2026 I will be making deliberate efforts to add in regular whimsy. I’ve taken a new liking to weeknight outings whatever they may be, creating small weekly rituals/traditions for myself, and also reframing some typical things into something more exciting. For example, my work girlies and I all watch the same movie on Monday (Movie Mondays) to yap about and have been rotating for a once a week artisan coffee run. For whatever reason, I’ve also found logging things in my life to somehow add to the whimsy? Not sure the psychology behind that. Maybe it has to do with taking time out to record and reflect on whatever I just did. Here are some of the apps I use: Strava for workouts, Beli for new restaurants, Goodreads for books, and Letterboxd for movies.
This apparent Day After Tomorrow level storm that is about to be upon us will be a challenge for both the Vitamin D consumption and whimsy. I do much prefer snow to just the cold greyness of winter without it and I honestly am looking forward to having a cozy, no where to go, WFH few days AND I am adding all this whimsy & enjoyment without a drink, Dry January, what an invention. See all about the reframe? Maybe the antidote to January Blues really is just the as old as time glass half full mindset. Wishing you all safety in this storm and whimsy through the rest of your winter!
