Have you ever noticed changes in your mood in the late fall and winter? Feelings of sadness, low energy, and just… blah-ness? It doesn’t quite feel severe enough to affect your day to day function, but it’s definitely noticeable and the days just seem… meh.
You might be experiencing the winter blues, and you’re not alone. A poll from the American Psychiatric Association showed that Americans are more likely to experience negative mood changes in the winter, with women being more likely to report a decline in their mood than men.
The winter blues are feelings of sadness or depression during the late fall and early winter months brought on by the cold and reduced sunlight. It’s different from seasonal affective disorder, which is a severe form of seasonal depression that can be debilitating to those who suffer with it. The holiday blues, which are brought on by the stress of the holidays and worsened by the winter blues, can also occur during the winter months.
Winter blues are temporary and will generally improve once the season is over. But what do you do in those 4-5 months when you’re just not feeling like yourself? Bright light therapy may be an option.
Bright light therapy mimics exposure to sunlight.
You know how taking a walk out in the sun seems to lift your spirits? It’s not just hearsay – sunlight helps to enhance our mood and overall mental health by actually altering the chemicals in our bodies. That’s what bright light therapy aims to do through exposure to an artificial light source called a ‘light box.’
Bright light therapy has been used since the 1980s to help people with seasonal affective disorder, depression, and certain sleep disorders. It has been shown to help with lessening symptoms of depression while improving mood, sleep, energy levels, and cognition.
Most light boxes emit about 10,000 lux of light, which is the same as the amount of sunlight you’d get on a cloudy day. There are very few side effects in most people, the most common ones being eye strain, nausea, or headaches.
It’s thought to work by either increasing the available serotonin (otherwise known as “the feel good chemical”) in the brain, or by regulating our circadian rhythms so they sync up with the actual time of day – or through a combination of both mechanisms.
Use a light therapy box first thing in the morning.
One of the most peaceful times of my day is in the morning before everybody wakes up. Kids are asleep, everything’s quiet, it’s just me, my thoughts, and my coffee. It’s the mama golden hour for working moms.
If you’ve been battling the winter blues, this could be the perfect opportunity to try light therapy. True, it might require you to wake up a little earlier and add a bit of extra time to the morning routine, but it’s worth it for the potential benefits to your mental health. We know too well how a negative mood can affect our productivity, interactions with our family and friends, energy levels, and overall happiness.
General recommendations for using a light box state that it should be used for 20-30 minutes within the first hour of waking up in the morning, the light should be between 16-24 inches from your face (the exact distance depends on the manufacturer’s recommendations), and you shouldn’t be looking at it directly.
So… why not just take a walk outside and get some actual sunlight?
If you can, go for it. For some women, that may not be realistic. It might be too cold or raining, or maybe you don’t have anyone to look after the kids while you’re gone, or it could be that you just don’t want to put in the effort to get dressed (totally valid). In these cases, a light box might come in handy.
The ability to do other things while using a light box is another compelling reason to opt for one. Multitasking is every working mom’s middle name, although it’s arguable whether it should be! In any case, you can turn it on and have breakfast, sip your morning coffee, get a head start on emails, plan the day, or just skip all that and meditate in some hard-earned peace.
Although the beneficial effects of bright light therapy have mostly been studied on people with clinical mood and sleep disorders, it may be helpful for those who experience milder mood changes in the winter. When used as recommended, it can help improve mood, cognition, energy, and sleep. There are very few side effects and you don’t need to have a prescription to get a light therapy box. You should definitely consult with a doctor if you suspect that you have a more serious disorder that is affecting your behavior or thoughts.
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- The Benefits Of Bright Light Therapy For The Winter Blues
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- When The Holidays Don’t Feel So Happy – Managing The Holiday Blues
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