Duane McCormick wasn’t living his best life about six years ago.
His wife asked for a divorce. He developed high blood pressure and endured a stomach ulcer.
He felt blah. The fight to be happier and healthier left him depleted mentally. Then, his doctor gave him some advice.
“He said, ‘Go take yoga or something, something that will calm you down,” the 59-year-old Millbury resident said.
Mr. McCormick began taking yoga and reiki healing classes. He added routine massages. Physical ailments and life stressors got him there. But the boost in mood kept him there.
“I’ve noticed myself becoming a lot more upbeat,” he said. “Yoga, reiki, I believe that probably pulls people out of slumps.”
Exercise and relaxation techniques are only two ways to combat that feeling of blah. This time of year, it’s more accurately known as seasonal affective disorder, or S.A.D. And more popularly known as the winter blues.
1. Identify and eliminate stressors
2. A minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week.
3. Phototherapy with a light box.
4. Sufficient sleep.
5. Vitamin D supplements or mild medication.
S.A.D. is a subtype of the more serious major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, said Dr. Victoria Kelly, a licensed psychiatrist and assistant professor and vice chair for education for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toledo Medical Center.
S.A.D. affects about 10 million Americans, according to Psychology Today. About 4-6 percent of people are formally diagnosed with this subtype of depression, meaning they have consistent symptoms from fall through winter and for at least two consecutive years, she said.
“But about 10 to 20 percent of people may have milder symptoms, and that can impact how we live and how we experience the quality of our fall and winter,” Dr. Kelly said. “Often patients will describe it to me as almost a hibernation state. They want to just shut down, and they often feel blah or empty.”
There’s that word again. In the dictionary, blah as a noun is simply defined as depression. As an adjective, it means dull or unexciting.
That we are, said Dr. Kelly, when a reduction in light during the fall and winter months messes with our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings.
In other words, blame it on the sun.
“We need appropriate levels of sunlight because it can affect serotonin and melatonin, and these are some of the neurotransmitters that affect our moods,” Dr. Kelly said.
There are factors that count as upfront strikes against some of us. Anyone up for a move South? The farther away from the equator you live, the higher the risk of feeling S.A.D. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 percent of people who live in Florida suffer from seasonal depression, compared to 9 percent of those who live in New England or Alaska.
You also have a higher risk if there’s a family history, if you already have a major depressive disorder such as clinical depression or bipolar disorder, if you are a young adult in your 20s or 30s, (the onset is usually between the age of 18 and 30), or if you are female (four times more likely to have seasonal variation in mood than their male counterparts), according to Dr. Kelly.
Here’s a whodathunk fact: S.A.D. actually starts in the fall, when light first starts to wane, and we get that first taste of cooler temperatures and winter things to come.
“On the social side of our lives, we have so many additional expectations at that time,” Dr. Kelly said. “I think the stress of school starting and the holidays additionally adds stress to our lives, which can worsen somebody who is already having problems with depression.”
Don’t confuse S.A.D. with the more serious form of clinical depression, the doctor warns. That form often comes with thoughts of death, dying, or suicide, and needs more advanced medical attention.
But if it’s not that serious, if your symptoms are more like this — lack of energy, oversleeping, increased appetite, or increased irritability — then there are ways to combat that, she said.
If you are already struggling with that blah feeling, it is key to identify social stressors in your life and manage them, Dr. Kelly said. That’s a polite way of telling someone to learn the word “no.”
Other ways to combat S.A.D. include phototherapy through the use of a light box that replenishes vitamin D, and between seven and 12 hours of sleep a night, depending on your age and what makes you feel well rested.
Other sufferers, including actress Rosie O’Donnell, have resorted to “inversion therapy,” which entails hanging upside down for 15-20 minutes each day. It’s not advised for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, or glaucoma.
Then there are exercise and relaxation techniques, which are great ways to naturally boost mood and decrease anxiety by increasing endorphins, dopamine, and adrenaline. A minimum of 150 minutes a week is recommended by medical experts.
At open Arms Wellness Center & Yoga Loft in Oregon, owner Ashley Hirzel sends out an emailed newsletter to her more than 5,000 clients at the beginning of the year, reminding them of the services that can help fight the winter blues. She sees a lot of clients hop into their infrared sauna for 15-20 minutes before a scheduled massage or yoga class, to replenish vitamin D and boost energy.
“You have all this cheerfulness of coming into the holidays, but afterward, what do you have to look forward to? You’re hoping for spring, but then winter sets in first, so you have to find things that make you happy, things that make you feel good,” Ms. Hirzel said.
First Published January 19, 2020, 1:00 p.m.
