Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has become
increasingly recognised as an issue that affects many individuals. In the past
it was referred to as winter blues and there was an assumption that anyone who
felt a bit low during the winter months would soon get over it. Recently however people have come to realise that
the issue is far more serious than a dip in energy and enthusiasm for life, and
indeed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) suggests
the treatment for SAD should be the same as for other forms of depression.
In addition to being a serious condition, it’s also
one that can affect sufferers for several months of the year, which means that
even if symptoms are relatively low level, they can have a prolonged effect on a
person’s quality of life, and this will in turn affect those around each
individual, including family members, friends and colleagues.
Is there
a solution?
The causes of SAD aren’t fully understood but it appears
to be related to hormonal changes that take place as a result of reduced hours
of daylight. While sufferers may not
have control over the hormonal changes triggered by dark winter days, they can
make decisions with their day-to-day lifestyle choices that can minimise the
impact of these hormones.
How can
businesses help?
Organisations have a role to play in supporting SAD
sufferers in much the same way as they do with supporting general staff health
and wellbeing. They can provide education on the condition and ensure staff
have access to a wide range of healthy, mood-boosting choices with what they
eat and drink.
They can offer opportunities and incentives for employees
to get active within the working day, and reduce pressure by considering a
flexible approach that allows staff to mange their time so they can end each day
having achieved all their objectives, both personal and professional.
If this means allowing staff the chance to get
active, eat well, see some daylight, and balance their life as well as carry
out their role at work, clear communication of expectations on both sides can
pay huge dividends with getting the best out of people through what can be a
challenging time for them.
The final thing an organisation can do is to make
counseling or therapy available as they might for other forms of depression.
As with all wellbeing initiatives, messages need to
be clear, consistent and practical so that staff are aware of the right choices
to make each day, and feel motivated to make these choices.
Simple
healthy lifestyle messages that businesses can communicate in relation to SAD
1) Be aware of food and drinks that will drain you
of energy. This means limiting coffees, fizzy drinks and sugary snacks. It can
be tempting to opt for these items for a quick pick me up, but with any rapid
rise in blood sugar comes a subsequent crash, resulting in an exaggerated
feeling of low energy. Instead aim to
follow a routine of eating regularly through the day with healthy choices and
moderate portion sizes.
2) Stay hydrated throughout the day as dehydration
can heighten feelings of lethargy.
3) Get outside whenever you can. A couple of breaks
during the day to get some sunlight and a little bit of fresh air and activity
can do wonders for boosting mood, and not just because it increases the amount
of daylight you’ll be exposed to. Taking
breaks through the day can clear the head and help to boost creativity and
problem solving.
4) If you're struggling through winter it can be
tempting to let your exercise routine slide but it's important to resist this
temptation. Exercise will release feel-good hormones that will lift your daily
mood.
5) Adapt your schedule to allow you time to get
outside and get some light. This may mean getting up earlier to get ahead of
the day and, while extending the time you spend in the morning darkness may
seem counter intuitive, if it frees you up to soak up some valuable light later
in the day it’ll be worth it.
6) Light boxes have been shown to help many SAD
sufferers so it’s worth experimenting with this idea as a possible solution.
7) As with all conditions that affect mood, the
general advice is to avoid self-medication, particularly with alcohol or
recreational drugs. A drink or two may
seem like the answer to take the edge off the symptoms for a while but this
often exacerbates the situation in the medium to long term.
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