Full of beans in summer, sluggish in winter? Breaking down seasonal affective disorder

During summer, Andi Lew is full of beans. She loves making the most of the longer days and thrives on socialising, being active and working hard. But as the days shorten and the weather gets colder, her mood dives, her motivation to exercise wanes, she becomes flat and lethargic and she prefers to rug up indoors. “I feel depressed and my muscles are tight and achy,” she says.

The 50-year-old wellness coach and author first noticed these changes during the colder months around 15 years ago. Chatting about her symptoms with her colleague, a doctor, confirmed the fact she may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Carly Dober, a psychologist and the Headspace App’s mental health expert, describes SAD as “a type of depression that comes and goes according to the season”, usually developing in autumn and winter and disappearing again in summer and spring.

While SAD can affect anyone, Dober says those who are genetically predisposed to it, along with people who don’t experience much sunlight, such as shift workers, are more likely to be saddled with the symptoms.

SAD is more common in colder countries, but Dober says it still affects about one in 300 Australians. Even those without SAD may notice they slump during the colder months, Dober adds, noting that it’s standard for people to feel demotivated when it’s dreary outside. That can then lead to behavioural changes, including exercising less, gravitating more towards comfort food, and preferring to spend time lazing around on the couch or “hibernating in bed”.

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Lack of vitamin D from sunshine may also cause people’s moods to dip, as the vitamin can play a key role in regulating mood.

If the winter blues are dragging you down, there are lots of steps you can take to perk up your mood. Lew says trying to get as much sunshine as possible, taking vitamin D supplements and having regular saunas have helped to ease her symptoms.

In recent years, a relocation from Melbourne to Sydney improved Lew’s mood “immensely”. That was followed by a further move to California, where a lucrative job opportunity coupled with the lure of balmy weather saw her jump at the opportunity. Now that her days are drenched in sunlight, Lew’s state of mind has never been better.