During the cold dark Wisconsin winters, many people get depressed or find that they are more emotional. There is a condition called SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder that is tied to the decreased daylight and shortened days. Our modern lives do not make the situation any better. Many people find they are going to work or school before the sun is up and return home after the sun is down.
SAD is often treated by having the patient sit in front of a bright light every day. For those people who find that the cold dark weather is affecting their lives this can be a very important therapy.
For those people who just find themselves a “little off” emotionally during this time of year some simple changes can often make life better.
- Force yourself to get outside at lunch or during other breaks.
- Try to take a day off when it is sunny and do something outside.
- Turn on more lights in the rooms you spend the most time in
- Swap low watt energy saving bulbs for high watt bulbs for the winter
- Daylight color incandescent, and compact fluorescent bulbs are available. Because of the low wattage of compact fluorescent bulbs, you can often put the equivalent of a 100 watt bulb in a fixture that is only rated for 60 watt
- For regular fluorescent lights, bulbs get dull over time, new bulbs will be brighter. Daylight colored bulbs give the best light. Mixing “soft white” bulbs with “bright white” bulbs will also provide a better quality spectrum of color.
Remember, Spring and more sun is just a couple of months away.
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