Typically, these symptoms resolve once spring and the days get longer and warmer.<\/p>\n
![\"january-sadness-got-you-down-heres-how-to-fix-it\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/january-sadness-got-you-down-heres-how-to-fix-it-e1760990392523.jpg\")
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5 Ways to Mentally Prepare for Winter and the Seasonal Affective Disorder That Comes With It<\/p>\n
As we approach winter, it\u2019s important to prepare for possible relapses into depression. Even if you don\u2019t suffer from SAD, many people still experience negative mood changes during the winter months. Thankfully, aside from medication and therapy, which should be discussed with a professional, there are many ways to prepare for the season ahead.<\/p>\n
Lindsay Richerson<\/a>, Mental Health Expert and Executive Director at Lantana Recovery<\/a>, shared five ways to prevent or minimise winter depression, so you can get ahead of it this year.<\/p>\n 1. Begin Light Therapy<\/p>\n Bright light therapy is a great option for those struggling with SAD. Though it uses artificial light, it can mimic natural, outdoor light that you wouldn\u2019t otherwise get during the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost people wait until they\u2019re already deep in the winter blues to start light therapy,\u201d Richerson says. \u201cBut taking a proactive approach, beginning light therapy in September or October, before symptoms emerge, may help prevent a full-blown depressive episode.\u201d<\/p>\n She recommends using a 10,000-lux light box for around 20\u201330 minutes each morning to regulate your circadian rhythm.<\/p>\n 2. Start Taking Vitamin D Supplements<\/p>\n Due to reduced sun exposure, many people experience low vitamin D during autumn and winter.<\/p>\n \u201cVitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to seasonal depression,\u201d says Richerson. \u201cStart taking 1,000\u20132,000 IU daily in early autumn. By the time winter arrives, your levels will be where they need to be rather than playing catch-up when you\u2019re already symptomatic.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Invest in a Dawn Simulator<\/p>\n What are two words you associated with winter? Cold and dark.<\/p>\n While you might be able to crank the heat in your home, it\u2019s hard to replicate the sunrise in your bedroom. However, dawn simulators achieve just that.<\/p>\n \u201cThese devices gradually increase light in your bedroom to mimic a natural sunrise, making it easier to wake up during dark winter mornings,\u201d says Richerson. \u201cSetting one up now helps your body adjust gradually rather than facing that jarring shock of waking up in pitch darkness come December.\u2019<\/p>\n 4. Lock in your winter routine while you still have energy<\/p>\n Routines can make or break your day-to-day life, adding structure to otherwise bleak or chaotic schedules\u2014both of which can wreak havoc on your nervous system.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s much easier to establish exercise habits, therapy appointments and social commitments when you\u2019re still feeling good,\u201d says Richerson. \u201cCome January, when motivation is low, those routines will already be on autopilot. Schedule recurring plans now, weekly walks with friends, regular gym classes, monthly social events, so you\u2019re not relying on willpower later.\u201d<\/p>\n When deciding what to put on your calendar, consider your priorities, like your physical and mental health, friends and family, creative expression, and plenty of rest.<\/p>\n 5. Create a \u2018SAD emergency kit\u2019<\/p>\n Unfortunately, you can\u2019t avoid a bad day (or week) altogether. However, you can prepare for one, ensuring you have all the essential pick-me-ups on hand.<\/p>\n \u201cStock up on things that bring you comfort and joy, including your favourite teas, cozy blankets, engaging books and craft supplies, whatever works for you,\u201d Richerson recommends. \u201cWhen depression hits, even going to the shop feels overwhelming. Having these ready means one less barrier to self-care.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re someone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), you likely know just how debilitating winter can…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227715,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,84,10400,393,44,60297,94207],"class_list":["post-227714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-life","tag-mental-health","tag-news","tag-sad","tag-seasonal-affective-disorder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\u200bA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1618399832049-gettyimages-1285353300-e1760990365411.jpeg\")
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