'Blue Monday' bringing attention to Seasonal Affective Disorder
Now that holiday celebrations are behind us, the shorter days and colder months can take an emotional and mental toll.
“We did have to push ourselves to get out,” said Heather White, who was out for a stroll in Lansdowne Park Monday. “We’re so happy we did that.”
She and Brian Loyer braved the brisk cold to get some vitamin D on the third Monday of January, which is known as “Blue Monday”, dubbed the most depressing day of the year.
“It’s like night and day,” said Loyer.
“It really changes things,” added White.
Mental health experts often debunk the idea of “Blue Monday”, but they say seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is very real this time of the year.
“I wouldn’t reduce it to one day but we do see a rise in anxiety and depression around this time,” said KJ Thompson with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, one in five Canadians experience mental illness in any given year and SAD affects an estimated two to three per cent of Canadians.
“Characteristics include impaired sleep, lower levels of concentration and changes in appetite,” said Michael Mak, a psychiatrist with CAMH.
Factors contributing to SAD could include hefty credit card bills from the holidays, hibernating at home, and little to no sunlight.
“It’s not surprising there’s a dip after Christmas and we still got a lot of winter ahead of us,” said White.
But there are ways to cope.
“The first thing we can do is acknowledge all these pieces around us,” said Thomson. “Sometimes a direct check-in with someone and ourselves is what we need.”
Other ways to beat the winter blues include getting proper sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting some fresh air, even when it’s cold.
“That’s one of the main reasons I do it,” said one runner out by the Dow’s Lake. “Just get outside and reconnect.”
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