ATHABASCA — Winter weather is arriving quickly on the heels of a brief fall season, and while falling frozen flakes and leafless trees make cozying up on the couch sound like the perfect evening plans, the arrival of shorter days and more time at home can bring subtle, yet important, shifts in mental health.
It can be easy to see ourselves as exempt from concepts like seasonal affective disorder — now known as depressive disorder with seasonal patterns. But private counsellor for Taking Care Counselling in Athabasca, Jackie Shank, said winter months often bring increased levels of anxiety, stress, and depression for many, and the signs can be subtle.
“The decrease in the exposure to sunlight and vitamin D, the decreased amount of time we spend outdoors and active, the decreased time we spend socializing because it’s too cold or the roads are bad,” are all compounding factors to mental wellness during the winter, said Shank, who has a masters in counselling psychology.
“In my own practice and the realities of the change of the season, I know that people are more affected by whatever — it’s not necessarily a diagnosis, just increased sadness, or anxiety, stress,” said Shank.
Seasonal struggle signs and symptoms
Some 23 per cent of Canadians have some degree of depressive disorder with seasonal patterns, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Shank said. Even for those who don’t qualify for a diagnosis, signs and symptoms of a decline in mental wellness can often be tough to spot.
Common complaints that might not signal a struggle to everyone but are key indicators of mental wellness decline include: broken sleep, appetite changes, increased use of drugs and alcohol, increased isolation, and more aches and pains in the body, particularly in children and seniors.
“There’s a lot of different theories around that,” said Shank. “When we hold our stress, that stress has to go somewhere, and it’s going to be held in the body.”
Shank also pointed to worsening concentration and memory as a symptom of increased stress and anxiety. “The brain gets flooded with the stress hormone cortisol,” she said. “It clouds the functions of the brain and it clouds our feelings of joy. It clouds our capacity to grasp information that we would normally have immediate access to.”
The pressures of the holiday season can also play a role in mental wellness: “We place a lot of expectations on how perfect (the holidays) should be and what everybody should be doing, (and) doing the traditions that have been around for generations,” said Shank. “Those are lovely things, but there’s a lot of expectations and stress that then come with that.”
“We’re out of our routine, we’re eating less healthy, maybe we’re drinking more alcohol, we’re not exercising as much because we’re, quite frankly, busier,” said Shank. Family dynamics and financial concerns can also influence wellness around holiday time.
Tips and tricks
Although winter can seem never-ending in Alberta, especially for those struggling with mental wellness, there are ways to make the cold, dark months more bearable, and Shank recommends starting small.
“Try to connect with friends and family; make a standing commitment or standing date,” said Shank. “We’re more likely to follow up on that if someone’s waiting for me… (or) if I paid a few dollars for something, then I’m more apt to go.” Volunteering in the community is another recommendation, which Shank said can be healing for people.
Shank also highlighted the importance of practicing self-kindness and mindfulness. “If you’re not sleeping very well, try to find some space to just rest,” she said. “Often people know they’re not themselves, but they still have their list of 20 things to do. Well, that’s unreasonable … maybe cut in it half, maybe only do the things that absolutely have to be done,” she added.
The counsellor’s most over-arching advice, applicable to anyone experiencing less-than-perfect mental health was to find a cathartic outlet. Whether it be speaking to family, a trusted friend, or even a professional. “Finding a supportive place to kind of just unload,” can be a relief, Shank said.
And if talking seems like an insurmountable mountain, Shank suggests exploring more creative alternatives to release tension and stress. “For some people it’s painting, it's writing; for others, it’s going out in nature,” she said. “It’s just finding a place and a way that suits you, because counselling’s not for everybody.”
