Every winter, I notice changes in my mood – feelings of sadness, crankiness, low energy, and just… feeling blah. These mood changes aren’t severe enough to affect my day-to-day function, but they make me unmotivated and slow to finish tasks (especially in the morning).
The seasonal mood changes that I and many other people experience are called the ‘winter blues.’ They can have a significant effect on our emotional health and wellbeing. Using a light box is one of the ways we can manage this common winter moodiness.
What are the winter blues?
The winter blues are feelings of sadness, tiredness, low motivation, and irritability brought on by the cold and reduced sunlight in the the late fall and early winter months. They’re not debilitating, but they can make it hard to manage the demands of working motherhood.
The winter blues are different from seasonal affective disorder, which is a severe form of seasonal depression that can be debilitating to those who suffer from it. It’s also different from the holiday blues, which are caused by the stress of the holidays during the winter months.
Winter blues and mild seasonal mood changes are fairly common. 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.
Why are the winter blues so common? During the winter, there’s naturally less sunlight and less opportunity for outdoor time. Exposure to sunlight affects the chemicals in our bodies, increasing serotonin and regulating our circadian rhythms. With winter weather changes, circadian rhythm disruptions and reduced serotonin can cause us to feel down, sluggish, and moody.
What is bright light therapy?
Bright light therapy is an intervention that aims to improve our mood through exposure to an artificial light source called a ‘light box.’
Light boxes are thought to work by either increasing the available serotonin in the brain or regulating our circadian rhythms so they sync up with the actual time of day – or maybe through a combination of both mechanisms.
Bright light therapy has been used since the 1980s to help people with clinical disorders including seasonal affective disorder, depression, and certain types of sleep disorders. It has been shown to help with:
- Lessening symptoms of depression
- Improving mood
- Promoting better sleep
- Improving energy levels
- Improving cognition
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 of us who experience milder mood changes in the winter.
How to use a light box
Using a light box is pretty simple – you just plug it in and sit near it while sipping your morning coffee – but here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:
- It should be used for 20-30 minutes within the first hour of waking up in the morning (preferable before 8am)
- The light box should emit about 10,000 lux of light, which is the same as the amount of sunlight we’d get on a cloudy day
- The light source should be between 16-24 inches from the face (the exact distance depends on the manufacturer’s recommendations)
- We shouldn’t be looking at it directly
There are very few side effects in most people, the most common ones being eye strain, nausea, and headaches.
How using a light box helps me manage the winter blues
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I don’t have a clinical sleep or mood disorder, but I do struggle to get going on those cold, dark winter mornings. Using a light box when I wake up has been helpful for managing my mild winter moodiness. I love that it’s portable and easy to use – all I have to do is turn it on while I drink my coffee and check my monthly schedule.
A morning boost
When used in the morning, bright light therapy helps lift my spirits and charges my emotional battery, which makes it easier to get through those dark winter mornings.
Better sleep
Bright light therapy helps us regulate our circadian rhythms and melatonin levels, which can go into disarray during the winter months. When used as recommended in the morning, light boxes help me go to bed when I’m supposed to and promote better quality sleep.
More focus
It can be hard to get going in the mornings, especially when it’s cold and dark. Using a light box gives me the energy I need to focus and get things done. I start the day feeling more productive and focused, which sets the tone for the rest of the day.
My pick: Verilux HappyLight Lucent – One-Touch Light Therapy Lamp with 10,000 Lux, UV-Free, LED Bright White Light & Detachable Stand for Boosting Mood & Improving Sleep (Amazon paid link)
References
National Institute of Mental Health. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Www.nimh.nih.gov, National Institute of Mental Health, 2023, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder.
“Two in Five Americans Say Their Mood Worsens in Winter; 29% Say “Falling Back” Hurts Their Mental He.” Psychiatry.org, 2024, www.psychiatry.org/News-room/News-Releases/APA-Poll-Mood-Changes-in-Winter.
“What Are the Benefits of Sunlight on Physical & Mental Health?” Calm Blog, 27 May 2024, www.calm.com/blog/benefits-of-sunlight.
Campbell, Philip D, et al. “Bright Light Therapy: Seasonal Affective Disorder and Beyond.” The Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine : EJBM, vol. 32, 2017, p. E13, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6746555.
Mayo Clinic. “Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment: Choosing a Light Therapy Box.” Mayo Clinic, 2016, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/in-depth/seasonal-affective-disorder-treatment/art-20048298.
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