If you feel depressed during the winter months, try these 4 things.
Seasonal depression is real. Here's how to deal with it.
Have you ever noticed that winter-themed films tend to involve frolicking in the snow, ice-skating, and kissing your one true love while the snow falls in your hair?
Don't these people know about stretchy pants and Netflix? Photo via Robbie Dale/Flickr.
For a lot of us, winter actually looks more like leaving work after the sun has already set.
It looks like canceling plans because it’s easier to stay in bed, and trying to remember a time when the sky was any color but gray.
In fact, almost everyone I know gets the “winter blues” to some degree — feeling exhausted, sad, and checked out during the winter months. But for some people, those feelings can manifest into something even more extreme: an illness called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
Yay. Winter. Photo via Lucia Sánchez Donato/Flickr.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of major depression that comes and goes based on the seasons.” For most people who have experienced this mood disorder, SAD starts in the fall and begins to let up in early spring.
Medical professionals think that reduced exposure to sunlight (basically, no vitamin D) is a major factor behind seasonal depression. When the sun is only out for a couple hours a day, your body and brain regulate emotions differently.
The good news is that some of the best ways to deal with the winter blues include tiny lifestyle changes that don't involve a prescription pad at all.
Here are four ways to kick SAD's ass and reclaim your winter.
1. Start using a light therapy box.
I started using this sun lamp for 30 to 45 minutes a day during my senior year in college, and it changed everything. The lamp blasts VERY bright light at your face until your body is convinced that it's not hibernating through the winter. It can be a little hard to adjust to the habit, but it has been proven to work fast.
Seriously, it works! Photo by me.
2. Sweat out the SAD.
Regular exercise is a cornerstone of physical health, but it can also make a huge difference with mental health, too. Getting physical encourages your brain to release all those good chemicals that elevate your mood.
3. Think positive.
This tip may sound annoying ("just be happier!!!"), but hear me out. In northern Norway, where some towns don't see the sun for months, seasonal depression is very rare — partly because Norwegians have different expectations for winter.
Instead of getting down in the dumps, they mindfully focus on the color, the coziness, and the beauty of those dark, cold months. So when winter's got you down, take a page out of their book: light candles, cook stews, drink hot chocolate, and get out your warmest blankets. A small shift in perspective could lead to huge results.
Doesn't seem so bad, does it? Photo from Samet Kilic/Flickr.
4. Make sure you have enough vitamin D.
According to Psychology Today, tons of studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression. A vitamin D supplement could help your body deal with winter's emotional lows.
These tips probably won't "cure" your seasonal sadness — only the Earth's slow rotation around the sun can do that.
But remember, you're not alone. Lots of us experience the winter blues, and it does get better.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."