The Art of Managing SAD Without Pretending It’s Easy

Today's High: 21

Feels like: 11

Cloud Cover: 92%

Mood: Gloomy, perhaps SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka SAD is in full swing. Your brain has decided that darkness is the perfect setting for a months long slump. Therapists and self-help gurus parade solutions: light therapy, exercise, maybe painting everything in neon. These suggestions are well-intentioned, and sometimes they even help. Yet the reality is that scraping ice off your windshield at dawn does not pair well with early morning lunges or kale smoothies.

The practical question is how to cope without rewriting your entire life. Some find relief by stepping outside, if only for a moment, to remind the body that sunlight still exists. Others lean on journaling as a way to dump the gloom onto paper, though it might read like a weather report for the Arctic.

So, what can one do, while they're patiently waiting for the first daffodils to bloom?

Managing SAD starts with realistic expectations. On low-energy days, prioritize rest, let go of unnecessary obligations, and focus on small, achievable actions. Recognize SAD's presence and take small, intentional steps to adapt. Progress may be gradual, but that's okay. You can be assured that Spring will arrive. Happens every year.