Seasonal Affective Disorder Checklist

22 items · Health · Easy difficulty · 1 hour

Get ahead of seasonal affective disorder this winter: signs to track, when to see a doctor, morning light, light box safety and routines.

• Write down how last winter went, and the month it started

  Doctors look for the same pattern in at least two winters in a row.

• Start a simple weekly note of your mood, sleep and energy

  One line a week is enough to show a doctor whether things are changing.

• Know the signs to watch for
• Low mood most of the day, nearly every day
• Losing interest in things you usually enjoy
• Sleeping much more and still feeling tired
• Craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
• Avoiding friends and plans
• Book a doctor's appointment if the signs last more than two weeks, or if last winter was hard

  Light therapy, talking therapy such as CBT, and antidepressants are all used for SAD, and a doctor can start some of them before symptoms return.

• Get outside in daylight every morning, even for 15 minutes

  Morning light counts even on a cloudy day.

• Move your desk or reading chair next to a window
• Ask your doctor before starting a light box

  Especially if you have bipolar disorder, an eye condition, or take a medicine that makes you sensitive to light.

• Choose a light box made for SAD, usually rated 10,000 lux, that filters out UV

  A desk lamp is far dimmer, and a tanning lamp gives off the UV you want filtered out.

• Use it as your doctor advises, often 20 to 30 minutes soon after you wake up

  Sit with the light off to one side while you eat or read; do not stare into it.

• Get up at the same time every day, weekends included
• Plan your exercise for daylight hours, outdoors when you can
• Put one plan with another person in your calendar each week

  SAD can make you want to cancel, so set it up before the low weeks start.

• Plan something to look forward to in January or February
• Cut back on alcohol over the winter

  Alcohol is a depressant and disrupts sleep.

• Ask your doctor whether checking your vitamin D makes sense for you

  Research on vitamin D for SAD has mixed results, so ask before buying supplements.

• Tell one person you trust what your bad weeks look like

  They may notice the change before you do.

• Save a crisis line in your phone

  988 in the US by call or text, or Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland.

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