You Can Add Mindfulness to Your Treatment of Seasonal Depression

If we better understand seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), we can be more resourceful when it comes to treating, or ideally preventing SAD.

It can also be very helpful to understand that many of the SAD symptoms can be reframed as symptoms of dysautonomia, or autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalances resulting from the stress of life, including the change of seasons.

Polyvagal Theory helps us to understand how the ANS becomes imbalanced by the stress of life and even more importantly offers strategies for consciously shifting out of dysfunctional ANS patterns to restore more ideal chemistry, mood, and behaviors.

This reframe allows us to add Self-Regulation skills, including embodied mindfulness, to our SAD toolkit because of their efficacy with rebalancing the ANS and the multitude of symptoms that an imbalanced ANS can produce.

Self-regulation practices are an empowering option in the treatment of depression because people can learn how to control their own physiology.

So, in this article we’ll work towards understanding just what SAD is, review the more conventional remedies, and explore embodied mindfulness practices for emotional and neurological self-regulation.

 How Do I know if I Have SAD?

Seasonal depression occurs in the fall and winter as the days become shorter and colder. Depressive symptoms must last two weeks or longer to distinguish SAD from a more temporary situational depression.  As the days begin to lengthen in the spring symptoms will tend to abate.

These seasonal elements are what distinguishes SAD from endogenous depression that simply lingers without regard for the time of year. There is also a summer version of SAD with a different set of symptoms that we won’t cover in this article.

The seasonal changes that trigger symptoms can be reframed as another form of stress to the system that imbalances the ANS, for which we know self-regulation remedies may be helpful.

If any of these symptoms persist almost daily for a period of at least two weeks you could have SAD.

Symptoms related to mood include feeling down, hopeless, helpless, or pessimistic. Mood changes characterized by increased anxiety, agitation, or irritation are likely. Mental symptoms can include difficulties with memory or mental focus, like foggy thinking. Physical changes in sleep patterns, appetite, and more fatigue are possibilities. Physical symptoms like increased muscle tension, pain, or gastrointestinal problems are also possible.

SAD: The Causes and Remedies

The cause of seasonal depression is layered. The primary cause is the reduction of daylight hours in the fall and winter and the physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes triggered by less daylight.

Less Daylight: 

Less daylight influences our physiology and psychology in a number of ways, including:  lowering Vitamin D levels, lowering serotonin levels, and raising levels of melatonin. These biochemical changes then disturb sleep and energy patterns, social interaction, exercise habits, along with changes in mood and cognition.

Remedy:  The most common treatment elements include: Vitamin D, therapeutic light box, psychotherapy, and antidepressants. These elements and more will be covered below.

Less Vitamin D:

Shorter days and less sunlight means less UV exposure to the skin and less production of vitamin D. Lower levels of vitamin D contributes to depression in a number of ways, including Vitamin D’s role in the synthesis of serotonin in the brain.

Studies have shown that individuals with lowered Vitamin D levels are more prone to depression and that raising D levels through supplementation is beneficial in relieving depression.

Remedy:  Supplement with Vitamin D3, add foods high in D like fatty fish, nuts, and dairy. Plan to spend more time outdoors or sitting next to a sunny window, and use a light box. Light boxes vary in strength and style, but a brightness of 10,000 lux and UV filtering is recommended. Individuals with certain eye conditions, like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma should consult with their physician before adding the light therapy.

Increased Melatonin:

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that encourages sleep and is produced in response to darkness. Too much melatonin is thought to contribute to an inclination to sleep more and to be less energized in the winter, which could contribute to a depressed mood.

Remedy:  Again, more light in the form of a therapeutic light box and time spent outdoors is the recommended strategy. Doing your best to create a regular sleep schedule can be helpful to avoid excessive sleep.

Less Serotonin:

Less sunlight, less Vitamin D, and altered circadian rhythms brought about by the changes in daylight hours can all contribute to lowered serotonin levels and symptoms of depression.

Remedy:  5-HTP is an over-the-counter supplement that acts as a biochemical precursor to serotonin that may be helpful. Vitamin D and more light as mentioned above can support the synthesis of serotonin. Antidepressants in the form of SSRIs may also be used when other approaches haven’t been helpful. Of course, exercise, good diet, mindfulness for self-regulation, and social activities are known supports for depression.

Less Outdoor Activity and Exercise: 

Less outdoor activity and less exercise contribute to depression in part because of the diminished exposure to sunlight and exercise’s contribution of mood altering endorphins.

Remedy:  Spend more time outdoors in natural light and do your best to exercise more regularly. Exercise is a known benefit for depressed moods, possibly because of its ability to increase mood benefitting endorphin levels, enhance oxygenation, and improve lymphatic drainage.

Less Social Engagement:

Less meaningful interaction with friends and acquaintances at any time of the year is known to contribute to depression. However, in winter the tendency to withdraw or isolate can further exacerbate the other known causes of SAD.

Remedy:  It may require more effort to maintain social contact in the winter months but can be well worth it. Polyvagal theory and its new understanding of the ANS shows that social engagement activates the benefits of the ventral branch of the vagus nerve. When kind and caring contact is made with another human, or pet, the nervous system shifts into a repair and resiliency mode, potentially accomplishing what no external intervention can. This is the key to the body and mind’s self-healing capacity. This neuroscience is amazing in that it’s confirming that kind, caring, open-hearted contact is a significant therapeutic agent for both emotional and physical healing.

• 1. Self-Regulation for Autonomic Nervous System Balancing

3. Self-regulation practices like mindfulness and conscious breathing have the potential to shift the autonomic nervous system into a healing and self-repair mode.

If the ANS is still locked into stress-induced protective strategies (fight, flight, or freeze) healing interventions like those mentioned above don’t have much likelihood of succeeding because the body doesn’t defend against stress and heal at the same time. We have to shift into the ventral vagus state of the ANS for healing to really be effective.

Mindfulness practice has been shown to help restore balance to serotonin, melatonin,              dopamine, and oxytocin levels even before the addition of any other remedies or medications.    Conscious breathing practices have the potential to increase oxygenation of the brain and        body tissues, and increase nitric oxide levels, which further enhances circulation. Both mindfulness and breathing practices have been shown to reduce anxiety and to inhibit inflammation.

Ideally, this information about the causes and remedies for SAD will be helpful to you with lessening or in even preventing seasonal mood changes. Hopefully, you’ll be motivated to practice whatever self-regulation skills you’re familiar with more regularly.

Here’s a twenty second practice to shift your mood and ANs.

Take one or two slow breaths through your nose while being aware of your heart. That’s enough to activate the vagus nerve and begin to restore ANS balance. And … if you think of someone or something that you love while taking the slow, heart-focused breaths your physiology will benefit even more.