Short days, less sunlight, and the winter blues. Everyone has experienced end-of-year drowsiness due to a lack of vitamin D and low temperatures. While this may occasionally be shrugged off as a bad day, it stems from serious mental effects.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year, typically in the late fall and early winter. People with SAD experience symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep and appetite, and loss of sleep in the winter months, with the symptoms fading away as the seasons change and the weather gets warmer.

Upper school counselor Clare Roney finds that there are times when students deal with difficult emotions annually, and the winter can be one of those times. Roney cites a multitude of reasons: the routine change of breaks, upcoming holidays, and stressful exams. Ultimately, though, Roney attributes Minnesota’s low temperatures as a primary reason: “It can feel like some of our activities are not as accessible…that can wear heavy on people,” she said. 

Before working in Minnesota, Roney worked in South America, where the tropical climate means the temperatures are higher all year round. While Roney spent her time on the continent working with elementary schoolers, she noted a difference in how the weather affected everyone’s moods, especially in a school that was predominantly outdoors: “There was a different energy…kids were moving outside all day long,” she said, “Getting that kind of exposure to sun and vitamin D did feel energizing and positive.”

Still, Roney finds that being affected by SAD is not inevitable in Minnesota: “In Minnesota, we do a good job of taking advantage of our four seasons,” she said, “If we wear the right clothing, we can still get outside, even in the winter, and do the things we love to do… that’s how we survive as Minnesotans.”

According to Roney, the key to overcoming SAD is picking up on patterns between mental health and outside conditions that show up year after year: “It’s important that people pay attention to what comes up at certain times of the year,” she said.

Once someone has identified the issues that show up, Roney urges them to “Confide in somebody that [they] trust,” in addition to taking advantage of opportunities to create a more balanced lifestyle in the winter, such as incorporating indoor exercise, reaching out to a medical provider about melatonin in the case of lost sleep and make time for the things you genuinely enjoy. 

“People are inclined to stay inside, lie in their bed, and scroll through social media,” she said, “But it’s important when we make plans, have predictability and things to look forward to.”