Why is it that people often get “the winter blues” during this time of the year?

“The winter blues” is a term that often gets thrown around that can mean different things for different people with different reasons for its presence.

For some, “the winter blues” may mean an increased sense of anxiety about the end of the year and the upcoming holidays — whether that’s because of goals unmet at work or in your personal life, anticipating spending time with family you’d rather avoid, or clocking in another holiday without a loved one that you’ve perhaps lost to death or to a breakup.

For others, “the winter blues” may arrive in the form of seasonal depression, more commonly known as seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), which, according to the DSM-5, is considered to be a reoccurring subtype of major depression or bipolar disorder that typically occurs at the same seasonal period each year, typically Fall and Winter for most people.

While the intensity of seasonal depression symptoms and the reasons for onset may vary from individual to individual, it’s thought that the decreased levels of sunlight in the Fall and Winter months may affect an individual’s serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that affects our well-being and happiness. For some, a reduction in naturally-produced serotonin levels can contribute to the onset of SAD each year.

Whatever the reason, root, or cause, “the winter blues” can feel very challenging for many of us, so please know you’re not alone and that there are some things you can specifically do to enhance your wellbeing at this time of the year.

So how can we help “beat the winter blues”?

There are endless ways and methods to support your overall well-being levels and, while there is certainly no one-size-fits-all prescription that will work for everyone, most of us can support our overall mental health and well-being by focusing on the following seven recommendations:

1. Recognize and realize that mental health is every single bit as important as physical health and invest in your mental health by seeking out comprehensive and regular professional support when and if you need it.

2. Take very good care of your physical health and, with professional support, rule out any underlying health conditions that may be contributing to your lack of happiness and well-being.

3. Build nourishing relationships in your life and reduce (or eliminate) contact with those relationships that drain, diminish, or don’t support you.

4. Deliberately plan play and joy and adventure into your daily and weekly routines.

5. Spend time in nature.

6. Limit time spent on social media (or be curious about how you can better use it to support your mental health).

7. Connect to something bigger than yourself be it nature, a social justice cause, or a form of religion or spirituality.