If you are online looking up mental health in January, chances are you are running across blogs sharing tips for how people can avoid depression and the gloom that comes with this month.  The concept of “Blue Monday” – the third Monday in January – claimed that it was the most depressing day of the year.  This concept has since been disproven for a variety of reasons, one being that it tried to measure subjective data, such as the most common date people quit their New Year’s resolutions and the weather.

But the concept of “Blue Monday,” however unscientific, does give awareness to another very scientific occurrence of the overall incline of depression in winter months.

“There is generally more sadness in the winter time and January is not uncommon at all for overall more sadness among folks,” said Dr. Ravi Shah, a psychiatrist at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center in New York City. “ So rather than dial in to one specific day, I think the more interesting question is what it is about the winter that affects our mood.”  

The winter blues are real. It’s more clinically known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It’s a form of depression that people experience usually during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight. The most difficult months for people with SAD in the US tend to be January and February, but it improves with the arrival of spring.

Psychology Today reported that SAD is estimated to affect 10 million Americans, and that another 10% to 20% may have mild symptoms. For 5% of adults who experience SAD, for about 40% of the year they have symptoms that can be overwhelming and can interfere with their daily lives.

The condition has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain prompted by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter. As seasons change, people experience a shift in their biological internal clock, or circadian rhythm, that can cause them to be out of sync with their regular schedule.

Common symptoms of SAD include fatigue despite how much a person sleeps, and weight gain associated with overeating and carbohydrate cravings, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Other signs include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, trouble concentrating or making decisions, thoughts of death or suicide, and even suicide attempts.

The onset of SAD can occur at any age, but typically starts between the ages of 18 and 30 and is more common in women than in men.

What can we do to combat the winter blues?

Keep active. Research has shown that a daily one-hour walk in the middle of the day could be as helpful as light treatment for coping with the winter blues.

Get outside. …
Keep warm. …
Eat healthily. …
See the light. …
Take up a new hobby. …
See your friends and family. …
Talk it through.