The darkness creeps in at 5:37PM today. It just makes me want to go to sleep. I get home from work around 6:30, eat dinner, then go to bed most nights not long after. I much prefer mornings, when the sun is shining. But the sun doesn’t shine very often in Chicago in the winter. It hides behind the dreariest of grey clouds.
Last winter I bought a lightbox, a big light that you sit in front of for 30 minutes a day that is supposed to help with seasonal affective disorder. It didn’t really do it for me.
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression brought on by winter and the lack of light in our lives. Those who are bipolar are particularly susceptible to this disorder, according to this study from 1984, which was the first to identify SAD.
“The symptoms of SAD are exactly the same as non-seasonal depression symptoms, which can include a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyed activities, excessive fatigue, difficulty concentrating, a significant change in sleep length, and thoughts about death or suicide,” Kelly Rohan, a professor of psychological science at the University of Vermont who’s done research on treating SAD, told the American Psychological Association. “The only difference with SAD is the seasonal pattern it follows.”
Music releases dopamine the brain. The chemical is a jolt of pleasure or a feeling of euphoria. My gift to you this winter season is this mix. It’s made up of songs that are all either about happiness or that sound happy. From the Beach Boys to Pharrell Williams to U2, I hope this playlist adds some brightness to your life during these cold, dark months. Subscribe by searching for THE ANTIDOTE TO SAD on Spotify and let the winter doldrums disappear.
