Mood & Depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Also known as SAD
Depression that follows the seasons, most often arriving in autumn and lifting in spring, tied to the loss of daylight.
What it can feel like
- Low mood and low energy in darker months
- Cravings for carbohydrates and weight gain
- Sleeping longer but waking unrefreshed
- Withdrawing socially
- Clear yearly pattern
Not everyone has every symptom, and you do not need a label to deserve support.
Things that help
Get daylight early
Ten to twenty minutes outside in the morning, even when overcast, is the most robust non-medical intervention.
Try a light box properly
Around 10,000 lux for 20 to 30 minutes each morning, ideally before 10am. Most people notice a change within two weeks.
Plan for the dark months
Book social contact and outdoor time in advance, so winter does not quietly empty your week.
Want to actually do these? Save them to your practices and tick them off as you go.
Add to my practicesWhen to reach for more support
If symptoms affect daily life, speak to a GP. Light therapy, talking therapy and medication are all options.
Often looked at together
Bipolar I Disorder
Episodes of mania, where mood and energy escalate far beyond normal for a week or more, usually alternating with periods of depression.
Bipolar II Disorder
Repeated depressive episodes with milder episodes of elevated mood (hypomania) that feel productive rather than out of control. Often mistaken for depression for years.
Cyclothymia
Two years or more of shifting between mild highs and mild lows that never quite reach full episodes, but still unsettle stability.