6 Signs You have SAD

AKA, the Winter Blues or Seasonal Depression

The change of seasons can be difficult. Especially in the winter. And especially if you live in the North.

Not only is it a big season for change (school and holidays can cause a lot of stress), but you also have less sunlight and lots of cold weather.

Which is a big stress on your body. Especially your internal clock.

It doesn’t take long for your circadian rhythm to get out of whack. When the sleep and wake cycles are out of balance, serotonin and melatonin levels will also become out of balance.

There are some common signs our body is not adjusting to the winter season. This could be an indication you are experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, also commonly called SAD or Seasonal Depression.

SAD affects many people, especially young adults and adolescents because they have sensitive circadian rhythms. Generally as people age, their circadian rhythm is not as affected by changes in sunlight.

So take note of these common signs of SAD and watch your body and loved ones for these changes:

1. Carb cravings. When SAD hits, you may first notice an insatiable cravings for carbs, and little appetite for anything else. Even though you’re eating you may never feel satisfied. Or it may feel like you always need to snack in order to keep you mood up.
2. Weight gain. The weight that comes around the middle, and fast. Your pants may be the first to let you know!
3. Body feels heavy. But not because of the extra weight. It takes extra work to move your body, as if moving through water. Which makes you sluggish and slow.
4. Wandering Mind. You may notice it’s hard to concentrate. Either concentration on the task at hand because you have a lot of thoughts going on at the same time. Or you have an inability to concentrate because your mind drifts off and you forget what you were doing. You may find yourself staring off into space or feeling spacy.
5. Disrupted Sleep. Do you feel sleepy during the day but awake at night? Maybe you’ve been tired all day but when you finally get the chance to sleep, you can’t. Or you may feel like no matter how much you sleep, you never feel like you got enough.
6. Depression or Anxiety. Generally, people tend to fall on a spectrum towards depression or anxiety, and SAD will increase your level of depression or anxiety. So if you tend towards depression, you’ll notice you feel more depressed. If you tend towards anxiety, you will notice you feel more anxious.

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Now you have learned some of the common signs of SAD. I understand if just reading this list is making you feel down and looking for a blanket to hibernate under.

But don’t worry. There are many things you can do to feel better and get your body back into a better balance.

So stayed tuned for my next article on ways you can fight SAD and keep your body in rhythm.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by some of these symptoms? Take care of yourself, do the hard thing and call up your mental health professional. Your future self with thank you.

And if you don’t already have a therapist, stop what you are doing and find one, you can search the Psychology Today website, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists or search Google by typing in “therapist near me”. ​

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