At a Glance
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression triggered by reduced daylight in winter, leading to low mood, fatigue, and anxiety. Management includes light exposure, self-care, and professional therapies such as hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy helps you reframe negative thought patterns, improve your coping mechanisms, and restore emotional balance through guided relaxation.
Feeling Your Mood Changing Along With the Season
Do you notice your mood dipping as the days get shorter and the weather turns colder? Do feelings of gloom, low energy, or hopelessness start to creep in without a clear reason?
You may be dealing with winter blues, clinically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is more common than we realise, with 2 million people being affected by it in the UK.
Winter can be a tough time, especially for those who chronically suffer from mental health issues such as stress, depression, or anxiety. Additionally, if you suffer from addiction such as smoking, drinking, or gambling, you may find yourself relapsing over the colder season.
Nobody wants to experience the winter blues, so it’s natural to want to know how to fight seasonal affective disorder. Hypnotherapy is seen as an effective tool in helping you deal with seasonal depression, especially when used alongside other remedies such as spending time in the sun or regulating your sleep pattern.
I’m Susannah Saunders, a certified clinical hypnotherapist who has been helping patients with different mental health and behaviour issues for more than two decades. I offer personalised sessions, helping you feel happier and calmer during the winter months. Get in touch with me to learn more about how I can help.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Seasonal affective disorder, or the winter blues, is a type of depression that’s only experienced during winter. If you’re dealing with winter blues, your symptoms will likely appear in autumn and continue throughout the winter months. Winter depression can affect people who don’t usually experience depressive thoughts or other psychological issues.
As daylight starts fading, so does your energy. And when the season changes and gets warmer, you also find your mood lifting and energy restoring.
Seasonal affective disorder is common in people over the age of 20, and research shows women are more likely to be impacted by it than men. The UK experiences less than 8 hours of sunlight during winter, with gloomy, overcast days and frequent rain and snow. These weather changes often cause chemical changes in the brain, leading to depressive thoughts.
Melatonin, a hormone that’s linked with sleep, is usually produced during the night. With longer nighttimes, your brain may over-produce this hormone, leading to lethargy and listlessness.
Reduced exposure to sunlight will also lead to lower production of the hormone serotonin, which helps in regulating mood, anxiety, the sleep-wake cycle, and digestion.
So, how do you know if you’re dealing with winter blues? Here are some signs that you may be affected:
- Feeling sad the majority of the time
- Losing interest in everyday activities and pleasures
- Reduced libido
- Feelings of guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, and irritability
- Fatigue and lethargy
- Excessive sleeping during the day
- Experiencing cravings for carbs and sugar, leading to emotional eating and weight gain
- Inability to focus and think
How to Manage SAD
Wondering how to treat seasonal affective disorder?
There are multiple ways to tackle winter depression and feel like yourself again, helping you fully enjoy the festive season and everything it has to offer.
Here’s how you can manage SAD:
Light Therapy
SAD lamps are extremely beneficial for the winter blues. Light therapy involves sitting in front of a specialised lamp box for 30 minutes to an hour every morning. This lamp mimics natural sunlight and can be especially helpful in the middle of the UK’s harsh winters. You may need to consult with a GP before choosing this treatment option.
Exposing Yourself to Sunlight
Spending as much time as you can outdoors in the sunlight can help you manage winter depression. Exposure to sunlight aids in the production of serotonin and Vitamin D, and regulates the body’s internal clock and circadian rhythm.
Low levels of vitamin D and serotonin can lead to depressive thoughts, insomnia, and anxiety, which is why sunlight exposure is so important in the winter.
On the days you can’t step outside, at least open the blinds or spend some time sitting beside a window.
Self Care
Practising self-care is key when you’re dealing with winter blues. This could include setting yourself a routine for waking, sleeping, eating, and doing your chores. If you can’t regulate your circadian rhythm naturally, you’ll need to learn to train it.
Spend time outdoors, go for nature walks, try gardening, or exercise regularly to keep yourself fit and active. Make your home and work environment as light and airy as possible by keeping the curtains open.
Seek Professional Help
If you’re unsure how to fight seasonal affective disorder alone, I recommend seeking professional help from a psychotherapist or hypnotherapist. CBT and hypnotherapy can help you uncover the root cause of your problem and find healthy coping methods. If you’re looking for custom hypnosis to help you overcome SAD, connect with me, Susannah, to find out how I can help.
How Hypnotherapy Helps With Seasonal Affective Disorder
Hypnotherapy can act as a complementary treatment for SAD. During hypnosis, you’ll reach a deep sense of calm and relaxation, which reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
I’ll also help introduce positive suggestions at a subconscious level during hypnosis, when your brain will be more open to suggestions and focused internally. This can help reframe the negative thoughts that may be limiting you.
Hypnotherapy can also help improve self-esteem and self-confidence, introducing better coping mechanisms, which can help address SAD symptoms of hopelessness and guilt.
Work with Susannah to Control Seasonal Affective Disorder
Dealing with winter blues alone can be taxing, but with the right help, you can lead a happier and calmer life even as the season changes. Winter brings many celebrations, like Christmas and New Year’s. With the right intervention, you can enjoy the festivities without feeling guilty, irritable, or anxious.
I’m a certified hypnotherapist with over two decades of experience and have helped patients with different conditions, such as phobias like fear of flying and public speaking. This winter, don’t let your internal brightness be impacted by the fading daylight.
Connect with me today to learn more about my treatment options.
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