Plus This
>“I thought we agreed you woudn't open the blinds”
Some people struggle with getting pronouns right for non-cis people. This woman uses "we" when she should use "I".
If you find yourself in a dim office and NOT near a window, I would suggest a Happy Light.
Yeah you're a but YTA.
Buy her a SAD lamp as an apology.
Verilux HappyLight Lucent - UV-Free LED Light Therapy Lamp, Bright White with 10,000 Lux, Detachable Stand, and Wall Mountable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_i_YFBM7KH78H9RAECPRSRR
Welcome! So many good tips here already. People have mentioned how to deal with the winter as far as cold and snow but what I haven’t seen mentioned is what it’s like to see the sun so much less. Yes, we have sunny days during winter but we can also have days straight with no sun shine. My advice is look at getting a sun lamp. We get significantly less sunlight and thus exposure to Vitamin D from the sun living up north. Taking a supplement can help but I’ve found the lamp to be a real game changer. This is the one I use and have given a few as gifts since getting mine 3 years ago.
Verilux HappyLight Lucent - UV-Free LED Light Therapy Lamp, Bright White with 10,000 Lux, Detachable Stand, and Wall Mountable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2YFW2SN58ZWNJWMH17DV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I know you're joking, but YES! About 4 hours of daylight in the winter is hard on humans as well as plants. Almost everyone I know spends time in front of a happy light in the winter, to help combat seasonal affect disorder. The grow lights have the same effect!
30 min at my desk while this is on.
https://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/dp/B079YBGPM5
Has helped a lot with mood, clarity, even digestion and sugar cravings that I get during certain times in the month. Just drastically changed my sleep pattern.
I’m in Canada so I’m not sure if this link will work if you’re in the states but it’s the verilux VT22 10,000 lux led
I had this Verilux light last year and it didn’t help at all. You had to place it 6 inches from your face which is too close. Made a great selfie light though.
It’s still sitting around the house. If you’re interested in it and willing to travel to the east end for it, DM me.
I posted this as a comment but wanted to share as a stand alone.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JRdNFbKGVJGAG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Especially in the darker-during-winter bases, these lights can really help with seasonal affect disorder.
Take it from a concerned mental health professional, as well as someone who occasionally suffers from SAD. Little things like this can help a ton.
Im not sure exactly where to get mine as i received it as a Christmas gift. Probably Amazon, but i cant find the exact model, similar to this one though!
I have SAD, so feel free to message me if you'd like to talk more about this!
Here are things that have helped me:
Light therapy. You can get a lamp for pretty cheap on Amazon and it has really helped me get going in the mornings during the dark days of winter. Use it in the mornings or in the middle of the day while you're studying. This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/dp/B079YBGPM5
Diet. I know it can be hard if you're a student, but doing what you can to eat a balanced diet in the winter is super important. Make sure you're eating enough, getting enough lean protein and vegetables and avoid sugar and caffeine when you can. Try to avoid alcohol when you can, too. The caffeine thing is the hardest for me, because I'm so sluggish in the winter and feel like I need it to function. I've found that using my SAD lamp helps me wake up without coffee. Look into supplements/vitamins. When I was diagnosed with SAD, I was living in France and my psychiatrist was BIG on supplements and suggested I take some magnesium, Omega-3, and Vitamin D supplements. I encourage you to do some research and talk to your doctor, of course, but I've personally found Vitamin D supplements to be very helpful. I did a blood test when I was seeing that psych and it turned out I had crazy low Vitamin D levels at the time (like, just slightly above "your body is in shambles" level) so I've made it a point to make sure I'm getting enough Vitamin D every winter.
Exercise. If you're a student, try to take advantage of the ARC/CRCE. I know it's hard when you're not feeling energetic/motivated, but even just 20-30 minutes on a stationary bike might be helpful. If you can't get to the gym, get some cheap resistance bands online and spend some time each day when you get home just moving your body around.
I know a lot of these things are easier said than done - it's hard to force yourself to cook a healthy meal or go to the gym when you feel like you can't get out of bed. But making these things a habit has done wonders for me. I still experience symptoms and I doubt it'll ever go away, but these small lifestyle changes you can incorporate into your routine that will make a huge difference.
I take magnesium before going to sleep, most people are deficient. Also D3/K2 in the mornings.
Passion flower can help with staying asleep. Also ashwaganda 30 minutes before sleep to lower cortisol levels that could be keeping you up. L-theanine can be relaxing. So can lavender in an essential oil diffuser.
CBN has a lot of potential for sleep, I look forward to it being affordable and available.
For your sleep cycle, you can use flux to stop the spectrum of light at night that's telling your brain it's daylight. Also a therapy lamp can be helpful for the mornings if you aren't getting out in the sun early.
I really love the brand Verilux, they have some pretty cheap therapy lights that help me a lot! The one I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JRdNFbKGVJGAG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Verilux makes a "Happy Light" that can help with SAD.
The circadian rhythm could definitely be playing a bigger role than the vitamin D.
This is a great video about how light effects humans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YV_iKnzDRg
The part of that video that jumps out in my mind in regards to your problems is when he talks about digestion. If I remember correctly, he says that digestion slows to a crawl at night to try and let you get a solid night's sleep without waking up to go to the bathroom. When your eyes are exposed to the bright morning light, it triggers your digestion system to speed back up and finish processing the food you ate yesterday.
I imagine if you are working at night and only seeing artificial lights, it might not be bright enough to get your digestion moving at it's normal speed. Then since you're sleeping during the day, it's slowed down during the day too.
I could definitely imagine that causing some stomach issues.
If that is what is going on, then the cure for that would be looking at a very bright white light very close to your eyes. Vitamin D wouldn't help much at all.
Something like this might be helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/dp/B079YBGPM5/
You could look into getting him a happy light?
Also, I've been really helped by a full spectrum panel light (like this one), I put it behind and off to the side of my monitor so I'm indirectly looking at it, and run it from about 9 AM to 8 PM.
This comment came up a little while ago and this product was mentioned..
It’s not always overcast, but I’ve found a full-spectrum light to be helpful in the darker months, such as: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_C1XKCFE2RN8Z7C3G00J0
https://www.amazon.ca/Verilux-HappyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/dp/B079YBGPM5
I compared a few and this one was a good fit for me but there are so many options!
Verilux HappyLight has several models, one is considered the "best SAD light of 2020" but sold out on amazon, others from Verilux range from $32 usd to $70 usd
Unavailable "best of 2020 overall"
Same brand $32
Same brand $62
I use one of these Happy lights and they really work well happy light on amazon
If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, doctors will often just diagnose you to give you a prescription. There are many things you can do outside of medication to help that don't require insurance and are practically free!
If you believe it goes beyond mood issues, then find a non-profit in your community that can connect you to resources.
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Build connections--like you are doing on Reddit but also in your community. Look on https://www.meetup.com/ for meet ups in your community. If you're religious, find a good church and get involved.
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Get sunshine & Vitamin D: especially important during the winter up here, that alone can lead to really bad focus issues, depression, and sleep disturbances. If you can, get a "Happy Light" on Amazon that will help with seasonal depression. https://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1550609760&sr=1-5&keywords=happy+light
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Find physical activities that you enjoy: Bonus if it connects you with other people. Exercise alone can improve mental health leaps and bounds https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression
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Find an outlet: if you're a creative person, create. If you don't think you are, give something a try and don't judge yourself! Write a short story or doodle. http://writingexercises.co.uk/index.php
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Find online resources: there are countless meditation and yoga videos on youtube that are free and extremely helpful. Find one that resonates with you and practice, practice, practice. Strengthening the mind is just the same and strengthening a muscle. You must be proactive or it will atrophy.
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Hoping you find answers and help. <3
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Highly suggest investing in a light light lamp
I got mine from Amazon: Verilux HappyLight VT22 Lucent 10,000 Lux LED Bright White Light Therapy Lamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sFloEb91A36VB
Verilux HappyLight VT22 Lucent 10,000 Lux LED Bright White Light Therapy Lamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YBGPM5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UQOBDbTS072PZ
Sorry you’re feeling that way �� my husband’s psychiatrist recommended one of these lights to help him through the winter. Have you heard of them/considered them before?