The days are shorter. You head to work in the dark, and you leave work in the dark. It's no surprise, this time of year we see an increase in lower mood. I know I feel it.


Taking proactive steps to support better mood can make the transitions of seasons easier. Here are some of my favorite ways to improve mood.


1. Light therapy

Studies show that light therapy can boost mood in as little as 20 minutes. Look for natural spectrum lightbox that emits 10,000 lux, and place 16-24 inches from your face, first thing in the morning for 20 minutes. Lightboxes can be used throughout the day, however discontinue by 2 pm to mimic our natural circadian rhythm. These come in small, easy, portable sizes now making it easy to pack in your bag and take with you.


Pro-tip: if you don't have access to a light box/"SAD lamp", allowing the morning light hit your face first thing is also great. I usually recommend a 10-20 minute morning walk first thing.



2. Time in nature. 

Forest bathing is a well-known strategy to improve stress levels. During the pandemic, I made a non-negotiable decision to spend at least 1 hour in nature every Saturday morning (including the fall and winter). What I noticed? It's actually not as wet and dark as I thought. The forest is bright with colours, and the tree canopy keeps me drier that I thought. It was an excellent way to support my mood, energy and stress levels.



3. Infrared sauna

Infrared sauna has been shown to have numerous benefits including increasing detoxification, reducing risk of heart disease, improving muscle recovery, regulating blood sugar and more. Additionally, infrared saunas boost mood, lower stress levels, and increase mental focus. Infrared saunas may also increase BDNF levels, a protein found in the brain, associated with elevating mood. Levels of BDNF have been shown to decrease during the fall and winter months.



4. Regular exercise

Regular exercise is a great way to boost mood, energy and BDNF levels (among many other things!). Aim to exercise in the morning or during the day, and limit intense exercise in the evening as this can impair melatonin levels. Additionally, exercising outdoors can increase your exposure to natural light. This can boost mood, energy and regulate your circadian rhythm. 


Pro-tip: combine a few of these strategies - take a hike on the weekend (natural light + nature time + exercise). Join a infrared yoga class (exercise + infrared sauna).



5. Vitamin D

It's incredibly rare that I see someone living in the Pacific Northwest with adequate Vitamin D levels. Health Canada advises everyone to get a daily intake of 400-800IU depending on their age. I highly recommend testing your levels. This is the only way to know how to tailor your dosage to get the most benefit. In my experience, the dosage recommended by Health Canada is adequate for the average person living in BC. However, oversupplementing Vitamin D can be a problem. The only way to really tell is to test and adjust dosage based on your personal levels.


If you've given these strategies a try and it's still not enough. Reach out and don't sit in that space alone. There are many effective strategies to support better mood, we just need to dig a little deeper.


If you'd like to learn more, schedule a free discovery call to see what kind of plan we can get in place for you.



In health,

Dr. Ashley Damm, ND, MSCP

Naturopathic Doctor - Vancouver, BC

Women's Health & Fertility 



References:

  1. Virk G, Reeves G, Rosenthal NE, Sher L, Postolache TT. Short exposure to light treatment improves depression scores in patients with seasonal affective disorder: A brief report. Int J Disabil Hum Dev. 2009 Jul;8(3):283-286. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.8-283. PMID: 20686638; PMCID: PMC2913518.
  2. Koltyn KF, Robins HI, Schmitt CL, Cohen JD, Morgan WP. Changes in mood state following whole-body hyperthermia. Int J Hyperthermia. 1992 May-Jun;8(3):305-7. doi: 10.3109/02656739209021785. PMID: 1607735.
  3. Molendijk ML, Haffmans JP, Bus BA, Spinhoven P, Penninx BW, Prickaerts J, Oude Voshaar RC, Elzinga BM. Serum BDNF concentrations show strong seasonal variation and correlations with the amount of ambient sunlight. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e48046. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048046. Epub 2012 Nov 2. PMID: 23133609; PMCID: PMC3487856.
  4. Gloth FM 3rd, Alam W, Hollis B. Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. J Nutr Health Aging. 1999;3(1):5-7. PMID: 10888476.
  5. Melrose S. Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depress Res Treat. 2015;2015:178564. doi: 10.1155/2015/178564. Epub 2015 Nov 25. PMID: 26688752; PMCID: PMC4673349.