As I get older (I'll be 48 in March), I have come to recognize the huge impact that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) (aka Seasonal Depression) has on my life, my relationships, and my work. Depression is so much more than just feeling "down" or "sad". It impacts nearly every facet of your life and while dealing with perpetual depression is hard enough, having that depression be magnified in the winter can make life seem somewhat hopeless.
Throughout my career as a web developer, I've always LOVED working on freelance projects; whether they be for another company/interested party or just a tinkering project for me, freelance time has always been rewarding. Earlier this week, I complained to my wife that I just didn't have any desire to work on anything outside of my day job because nothing sounded fun. Luckily, I have an amazing wife who recognizes when I'm affected by SAD more than I do, and she simply reminded me that my lack of drive was likely due to my brain.
Seasonal depression (or the "winter blues") affects millions of people across the world. And it's not as though you have to hate winter to be impacted by it. I love winter. I love snow. I chose to move to Boston, MA, USA. I then chose to move to Reno, NV, USA (which despite being in the desert still sees plenty of snow each winter). But I can't ignore the impact that the season has on my psyche, my desire to do anything more than survive, and my relationships with others.
If you're a manager of people, be sure to watch for different behavior in the winter from your team members. If a person who was very productive, outgoing and a real benefit to the team suddenly becomes complacent, moody or withdrawn when the seasons change, it's highly likely they suffer from seasonal depression. If you're lucky enough to work for an amazing company that offers free mental health benefits (Chatbooks partner with Tava Health, for instance), take advantage of those benefits for yourself and for your team members.
As with most things where mental health is concerned, the absolute worst thing you can do is turn a blind eye to it. It's also not sufficient to ignore behaviors, but it is vital to be empathetic. Some suggestions to help would be:
- Increase your interactivity with people during the winter months
- Use a "happy light"
- Make excuses to leave your house, even if it's cold/snowy/blustery
- If you're a remote worker, look for additional ways to interact with your team at work and your neighbors and friends
I'm not a doctor, I don't play one on TV, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I don't have any great revelations about how to suddenly make SAD less impactful. But I do have a voice to tell others what to look out for. Keep in mind, it will get better, even if it just takes until Spring to do so.
Top comments (1)
Thank you for this!