8 prevention tips for seasonal affective disorder

reframe your thinking

Our inner dialogue plays a massive role in our mood. Start by creating more awareness of the thoughts occupying your mind space throughout each day and try to redirect any inner dialogue that may send you into a downward spiral.

For example, my own thoughts tend to plummet as soon as I notice the days getting darker, earlier. A seemingly harmless thought of wow, it’s already dark at 7PM, can easily take over my focus. That single thought can lead to an onslaught of negative thinking, snowballing into feelings of dread, fear or doom.

By actively choosing to redirect your thoughts, you can support yourself in shifting your perspective of the world around you. Instead of focusing on the negative, reframe your perspective by intentionally seeking out and noticing the silver lining in the change of seasons.

Negative thought: I hate that it’s so dark outside already
Reframe: It’s easier for me to watch the sunset when it goes down earlier

Negative thought: it’s getting so cold out, I miss the heat, what am I going to do when winter comes?
Reframe: I get to enjoy cozy, warm evenings inside with my blankets and some tea

It might be hard, but in times of dismal thinking try to dig for the beauty around you. Dig for the gratitude and be intentional with which thoughts you allow yourself to focus on.

focus on being present

It can be easy to add fuel to the fire of our seasonal affective disorder or depressive moments by focusing on what we don’t have, what we wish was different or what’s to come. Your mind might like to wander to things not even in your reality yet – like the winter weather approaching when Fall has only just begun. 

When you notice this happening, use it as a reminder to bring yourself back to the present moment.

Staying present can help to prevent feelings of anxiety, depression and dread.

Struggling to come back to the present? Take 3 deep breaths and try this 54321 grounding exercise:

• acknowledge 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can feel
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

Take 3 more deep breaths and repeat the above as many times as needed.

prioritize the things that bring you joy

Sometimes all you want to do when your seasonal affective disorder symptoms strike is to lock yourself away in your room, close the curtains and sleep away the next 6 months. Hibernation is enticing, but it does nothing for your mental health.

Do your best to get yourself up and out. Plan activities that you love so that you have things to look forward to. Schedule in social interactions with people that you feel safe + supported to be around. Start making the things that make you smile, happy and thankful a priority in your daily + weekly life.

Take some time now to consider what support you to feel happy, grateful, at peace and connected in your life. It can be as simple as a calm cup of tea or as big as an international trip. The more you can come up with, the better.

create a supportive environment

In my world, winter means spending a lot more time indoors. Our environment – including your bedroom, your home, your vehicle, and even the city that you live in, can play a big role in our mental wellness. Transforming your environment into one that brings you joy, peace and comfort can help prevent the low moods associated with seasonal affective disorder. 

You may want to consider some of these transformations for your own environment: 

• Transform your home or your bedroom into your personal oasis
• Choose a home with lots of natural light + keep the curtains open
• Adding house plants may support by calming your mood, regulating stress levels, and creating summer time, warm weather ambiance.
• Use essential oils or candles that bring nature inside your home – lavender, spruce, pine, etc.
• Infuse your home with scents that are thought to support mood like bergamot and ylang ylang.

Whatever part of your environment you can control, turn it into a space that you genuinely love being in.

soak in the daylight

The decreased daylight in the fall and winter months is thought to be a contributing factor of seasonal affective disorder. That decreased exposure to daylight can lower our serotonin levels, which can then trigger low moods and/or depression.

While you can’t control the rise and fall of the sun, you can control how much daylight you get to experience. Consider waking with the sunrise to soak in as much natural daylight as possible and keep those curtains wide open to let as much natural light into your home as you can. 

A light therapy box can also support to mimic the sunlight when days are shorter. That being said, please consult your physician before trying any light therapy treatments.

don’t forget your vitamin D!

Did you know that vitamin D is known as a mood boosting vitamin? It’s also one of the many benefits of sunshine! Of course, with sunshine hours decreasing in the darker fall and winter months, many people in the northern hemisphere can be lacking vitamin D. 

With some of the core seasonal affective disorder indicators being low moods and depression, taking a daily Vitamin D supplement may support in preventing and/or managing SAD symptoms. 

Consider supplementing by taking D vitamins, eating foods rich in vitamin D or eating foods fortified with vitamin D. And, if it’s a sunny day, don’t forget to go sit in the sun for 10 minutes or so. 

choose a new hobby that you’re excited about

Fall and winter are the perfect seasons to try something new. Choosing a new hobby or something new to learn can help you stay busy, engaged and focused on things other than how darn cold and bleak it is outside.

Not sure what to do? Consider some of the following:

• pick up a musical instrument
• learn a new language
• enrol in an academic class
• teach yourself to knit, sew or crochet
• experience a winter sport like skating or snowboarding
• have fun painting or drawing 

Try choosing a hobby that either occupies your physical body or stimulates your mind (or, even better, both!).

see a therapist or certified coach

Working with a certified coach or therapist before any symptoms of seasonal affective disorder begin can be a great prevention strategy. Working with a person you trust can help you come up with a personalized approach and support you through the ups and downs. 

If you haven’t been working with someone prior to symptoms, regular sessions with a therapist can help to manage and treat seasonal affective disorder.

While the strategies in this post may help to minimize or even prevent your SAD symptoms, self care strategies aren’t always enough. If your symptoms get in the way of daily functioning and relationships, it’s best to see a mental health therapist and/or a physician.

As always, it’s important to know which self care strategies genuinely work for you. If you’re a newbie to the self care world, you’ll want to check out my post “How To Create Your Perfect Wellness Routine.”