Seasonal affective disorder (Content Warning)

[HippyMoon]

I'm exhausted. I get SAD so badly every year and this year I prepared - taking vitamin D and anti-depressants well in advance. It's an easier year than most have been but I still just feel awful. I have spent a week in bed now, thank goodness I work from home but I am very behind on my work and as a freelancer that is not financially viable.

It probably doesn't help that my baby died in late December, on my birthday, four years ago. So this is a really hard time of the year for me.

Does anyone do anything else that I could try to get me through the next couple of months?

Very sorry you are suffering and for your loss.

I find the winter months challenging and find that trying to get out and walk in the small amount of daylight there is helps. If I don’t get any outside time I find I feel worse.

Take care.

I’ve
always found a SAD light box helpful.

I too find a SAD light box works best. Also, if you buy for medical reason, you don't pay VAT. Not long until shortest day, so hang in there OP.

Oh op I am so sorry for your loss. As a long term sufferer of SAD I know sometimes its easier and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason!

Things that do help, not that I do them all consistently, are

Getting up early like before 6am and having a long brisk walk before starting the day.
Varying my working environment
Sometimes I have more sleep e.g. 40 min nap, or a couple of hours back in bed at the weekend, helps my mental resilience
Exercise - hands down the best, I picked swimming as it is an exercise I love
The usual eating plenty of vegetables

Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss. for your precious baby.

One thing that helps me wake up in the morning is my Lumie sunrise alarm clock. I find it much easier to wake up as it gradually gets lighter (tried a cheap one, it was horrible). Magnesium seems to help stabilise my moods as well.

If things are difficult this time of year, maybe in future you should consider taking some holiday so you can just veg around this time? (I guess it depends on what you do freelance wise)