10 Tips and Tools to Overcome Winter SAD (seasonal affective disorder)

25% of your workforce could be operating below their optimum because of SAD

Blue Monday falls on the Monday of the last full week of January, which is the Monday 21st January, and is thought to be the most depressing day of the year . The idea of Blue Monday is little more than pseudo science, but ,what is known, is that around 25% of the population in Northern Countries suffer from a mild or severe form of winter depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – and SAD peaks in January which is the darkest month along with December.

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a type of depression that comes about during the winter months as a result of the lack of sunlight. It affects a lot of people in Northern countries where office based workers get limited access to sunlight.

25% of your workforce could be operating below their optimum

Employers should take this subject seriously as 25% of your staff could be operating below their optimum during the winter which could lead to lower energy levels, decreased output and increase absence levels.

4 Light Therapy Tools to Help With Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of depression that occurs typically during the winter months, and generally, individuals who live in locations with short winter days and long winter nights are most at risk of SAD. It is thought to be linked to a lack of exposure to sun light (or bright light of a certain frequency and luminosity). Symptoms of SAD can be: low energy, low mood, low levels of motivation and a difficulty focusing on tasks. There are several treatments for SAD such as: cognitive behavioural therapy, anti-depressant medication, ionized air administration, exposure to sunlight and exposure to artificial bright light.

According to a Columbia University paper, researchers from 15 medical centers and clinics in the US and abroad have successfully used light therapy to treat SAD. In their own clinical trials of over 100 SAD patients, Columbia researchers found that the 75% of SAD patients showed marked improvements of their depressive symptoms when exposed to a 10,000 lux light system with UV filtered light diffusion and angular tilt.

While light therapy is not the only way to address winter depression light therapy seems to be an effective treatment for SAD and below you can find a list of four types of light therapy tool to help address SAD.

1.Light therapy glasses. One of the latest and most innovative light therapy tools on the market are light therapy glasses. These glasses are designed for the busy professional who can watch TV, read, prepare breakfast, exercise etc…, while wearing the light therapy glasses. There are many brands on the internet and simply search for light therapy glasses on google to see what I mean.

2.Portable SAD light box. These are small bright light emitting boxes that you can transport around the house and can be used while working at home or in the office. Just do a google search for portable SAD light box to see a list of devices on the market.

3.SAD Alarm Clock. These are SAD light therapy devices which help you to wake up more effectively in the winter by providing a dawn lighting simulation in your room as part of your alarm clock experience. Not ideal if your partner is not getting up at the same time as you! These can be complementary to the mobile light box or glasses. Once again, just do a google search for SAD alarm clocks to find a list of devices

4.SAD Daylight Bulbs. The fourth option is to get some SAD daylight bulbs and install them in your office, home office or in rooms of the house which you frequent.

If you don’t want to pay for SAD therapy, remember there are some low cost or free options available. For example studies have shown that exercise, practicing good sleep hygiene and getting out in the sun during lunchtime on winter days can help to boost mood. So, why not make a lunchtime run part of your staple diet during the winter months?

Below I have presented an Infographic prepared by First Choice which gives more information on SAD, its causes, its symptoms and treatments.

First Choice, one of the UK’s leading leisure travel companies has commissioned an ‘Out Like a Light’ Infographic which explores the issue of SAD and the winter blues and highlights the importance of sunlight in our lives. They used data from sources such as the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association, Mood Disorders Society of Canada, Bupa and SAD.org.uk to create the infographic.

The info-graphic reveals how the lack of sunshine during the winter months is affecting a large proportion of the population in northern countries. Apparently, 7 per cent of the UK population is affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that materialises during the winter months when hours of daylight and levels of sunlight are at a minimum. A further 17 per cent are said to be affected by a milder form of the disorder called subsyndromal SAD, but more commonly known as winter blues.

This topic should be of interest to employers as potentially nearly a quarter of your workforce could be operating below their optimum during the winter which could translate to lower energy and productivity and increased absence. For some more tips try out this on beating the winter blues.

I have summarized the five recommended treatments below.

1. Buy an SAD Lightbox and make it available to staff to use as needed. Let staff use them at their desks or designate a room they can use for light therapy.
2. Position as many desks as possible near windows.
3. Encourage staff to take regular activity and physical exercise
4. Encourage and help staff to get outside once a day
5. Encourage staff to eat a balanced diet. Help by making free fruit available at work.