Union News December 2020
Inspired by information provided from the Western Region EAP coordinator – counsellors
There is no doubt when one considers the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the isolation encountered by many members working from home combined with the changing seasons affects our members in small or more impacted ways.
While the change in seasons brings some people cheerful thoughts of pumpkin spice lattes, sweaters and winter sports, others start to dread the winter blues and worry about how this winter may have even further challenges to their mental health due to COVID-19.
What are the winter blues?
The winter blues are a wave of low emotions that come with these cold, dark days. Individuals experiencing the winter blues, might feel the need to sleep a bit longer, indulge more often in comfort food, and spend more time with Netflix than with socializing. You may have heard people referring to this as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but the winter blues and SAD are two different things according to mental health experts.
What is the difference between the winter blues and SAD?
About 15% of people in Canada experience the winter blues, while only about 2-3% of people in Canada experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Common symptoms of SAD include oversleeping, extreme fatigue, increased appetite with carbohydrate craving, overeating, and weight gain. With more severe episodes, people may have suicidal thoughts. SAD is not a separate mental disorder – it is a subtype of major depressive disorder. SAD is a widely researched condition of regularly occurring depression in the winter season that can impair one’s daily life. Treatment can include light therapy, counselling, medication, or a combination of the three. A professional can help determine if you are experiencing SAD.
What is depression?
Depression is a mental illness that affects a person’s mood—the way a person feels. Mood impacts the way people think about themselves, relate to others, and interact with the world around them. This is more than a ‘bad day’ or ‘feeling blue’. This can occur anytime of the year and is not related to season. Without supports like treatment, depression can last for a long time.
Here are some suggested ways that members can improve or maintain their mood this winter:
Let the light in - Get outside during the day if you can, keep your curtains open, and when indoors, spend as much time as you can near the windows. Even if it’s cloudy, getting some daylight can help boost your mood. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can improve their mood with exposure to bright, artificial light, called light therapy. As little as 30 minutes per day of sitting under a specially-designed light device results in significant improvement in 60% to 70% of SAD patients. Light therapy can also be helpful for people with the milder symptoms of the winter blues.
Get physical - Physical activity is always a great tool to help you manage your mental health. Start small and try a lunchtime walk around the block or look into some virtual classes you can take from the comfort of your own home.
If you are interested in and comfortable going to a gym, review the precautions put in place by the establishment and consider joining. Get a fitness tracker and commit to increasing your activity levels or use a free app like MyFitnessPal to monitor your physical health (exercise, water intake, food intake, weight etc.)
Try to keep a normal sleep schedule - It might feel like your bed is the only one who understands this funk you’re in, but over-sleeping can actually worsen the symptoms of the winter blues.
Celebrate – you’re doing great - Battling low moods is no easy feat, and it’s important to be kind to yourself and celebrate the little things. You’re stronger than you think! Find someone you can talk to… talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.
Stay Connected - Call up an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while and get together at a local park or organize a video call to catch up. Organize an event or a regular conference call with some co-workers where you share recipes, talk sports or connect on the subjects that you used to when you worked closely at the office.
Take Care! Remember to have regular check-ins with yourself, and to spend extra time on self-care. Identify what self-care activities suit you best and build those into your daily routine. Whether you are religious or hold secular views, prayer and/or meditation are also beneficial daily activities. By incorporating either into your routine, you can maintain your spiritual health in the same way that you maintain your physical health. There are many guided meditation apps to help you get started!