Beat S.A.D. this year

I realized that I sometimes go days without going outside, save going to and from a car. Geez, no wonder I seem to be picking up some SAD symptoms a month before I usually do.

For a week now, I’ve been spending as much time outside as possible. Weekdays, I spread out a blanket and do homework in my yard until it starts to get dark. Weekends are even easier—I spend my days hiking, boating, etc.

I try to spend some time in front of my lamp, too.

I feel better! I’m happier, and more motivated.

My SAD symptoms usually start around late November. Strangely enough, said symptoms have already made their appearance this year (yes, in early October).

For about a week, I’ve felt sad and unmotivated during the hours following sunset. I worked through the negative feelings well, but I was confused as to why I was sad at all. The fact that I’ve been almost unbearably tired every day made things seem a lot more grave, especially when my fatigue brought about severely impaired vision.

It seems pretty obvious now that some premature Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder has come into the picture. No problem: I’ll spend as much time in the sun as I can, and I’ll use my lamp and various coping skills to fill in the gaps.

It feels good to know what’s going on—now I can cope accordingly. I’m glad that I realized what was going on, before my symptoms became really bad.

Unlike last year… I marked this goal accomplished, but I knew all along that I really hadn’t coped with SAD at all. I just didn’t care.

It’s time to stop skirting around the issue: I can keep my SAD under control. At the very least, I can try!

My seasonal-related anxiety and depression lasts from January to March, like clockwork. My plan of action for the next two months:

-Sit in front of my lamp every day for at least 30 minutes
-Dress as warmly as possible
-When I’m feeling rather depressed, take advantage of my coping skills (such as writing in a journal)
-When I’m feeling very anxious, use what I’ve learned regarding cognitive behavioral therapy