Say, buddy: how are you feeling?
Bit tired? Kind of run down? Gripped by an existential sense that everything is pointless and hollow and that the very act of existence is nothing but an unceasing trudge to the cold embrace of the grave?
If so, then you’re not alone.
The days are getting shorter, darker and colder – thanks a bunch, Earth’s axial tilt – and it’s perfectly sane to want to stay snuggled up in bed instead of waiting in the rain for a bus to work.
But if you’re consistently tired, binging on carbohydrates, oversleeping and feeling blah about stuff, then there’s a good chance you’re experiencing seasonal affective disorder, which feels like a term conjured up purely to get the acronym “SAD”.
It’s not a small deal either.
SAD is considered rare in Australia, where our winters are pretty mild compared with the months of constant darkness the Northern hemisphere get (mind you, right now the Scando countries are getting sunrise at about 3.30am, which seems about as bad), but that doesn’t mean that Aussies are immune. If anything, maybe that mildness makes us more sensitive to it, because many of us feel distinctly down at this time of year.
It’s considered a major depressive episode if it affects your day to day life. And in that case it’s worth talking to a person about it – starting with your GP.
What else should you do about it?
Well, traditional advice includes “get more sunlight”, which seems to misunderstand the whole “winter” thing. Seriously: that’s up to the Sun, that is. Also, “do more exercise”, because who wouldn’t want to be out running in the cold and dark getting splashed by passing cars?
But as always with these things, it’s a good idea to be aware of what’s going on and be good to yourself while it’s happening.
Also, it’s worth noting that the winter solstice (aka the shortest day/longest night of the year) falls on June 22 this year, so things will start to improve after that.
Hang in there, friends.