Expert’s advice on fighting off seasonal depression from rainy Seattle weather
Nov 8, 2021, 5:51 AM
As weather in the Puget Sound region keeps conditions dark and rainy, one expert at UW Medicine has some advice to help fight off the gloom.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a regular seasonal occurrence for many who live in Western Washington, brought on by a combination of shorter days, rainy weather, and a downtick in sunshine.
“During the winter months, people typically spend more time indoors and it can feel a bit like you are hibernating,” University of Washington psychiatry professor Dr. Heidi Combs said in a recent press release.
That can lead to a range of SAD symptoms, including “low mood, reduced interest, fatigue, and reduced concentration,” as well as overeating and oversleeping.
Dr. Combs recommends that those experiencing SAD combat it with a relatively common sense solution: light.
That light could come in the form of an artificial light box, which emits a full spectrum of light designed to mimic the sun, ideally giving off 10,000 lumens at minimum. Quite a few brands advertise light boxes, and Dr. Combs recommends avoiding any that do not list their lumen levels.
Typically, anywhere between 30-45 minutes each morning basking in the glow of a light box can be enough to fight off the winter blues, she notes. That could take place over just a few weeks, or in more extreme cases, for the entire winter.
Beyond that, she says regular exercise can also help, as something that’s “really healthy for mental health.”
