There was a time when I didn't understand why my partner-in-love would become irritable the first week of February.  The first year it happened, we had large, take no prisoners type arguments.  A year or two later, we noticed the pattern.  That year, we had pre-emptive arguments because we thought it was inevitable.  Now, we have more intelligent ways of dealing with February.

I was in my mid-thirties when I first became aware that I just did not like winter in Minnesota anymore.  It was during a particularly long cold snap, temperatures down in the twenties and thirties below zero, where each day I had to wrestle the battery out of my car and into my apartment to warm it up and recharge it so that I could go to work.  Winter was no longer the amusing challenge it had been for me when I was younger.  I felt the sting of the cold on my being like Klingon disrupters constantly blasting away and tearing down my shields.  Warp core breaches often became imminent between the last part of January and the first part of February.  I now wonder how many significant relationships break up during this part of the year.

Minnesota, it seems, is the land of double whammies.  Not only do we have the seasons of road repair and winter, we also have, during winter, the challenges of teeth numbing cold and darkness.  The impact of darkness didn't become apparent to me until a few years ago, during my mid-life transisition; I found that I did not have the energy or the motivation to do cherished projects that I had planned especially for the winter months.  I noticed around October or November that my energy started to wane until, once again in late January, it had reached bottom.  It was all I could do to drag myself out of bed each morning and go to work.  I woke up each morning in the dark, drove to work in the dark, and returned home in the dark.  During the day I dragged, and when I got home, I collapsed.  Having a pleasant constitution, it seemed, was a luxury.  That's when I learned to empathize with the melt-downs my partner-in-love suffered.

I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD as it is more commonly known.  SAD which is the psychological term for winter depression, correlates to the lack of light one receives during the winter months.  SAD affects about 5% of the adult population with an estimated 25% of the population experiencing some form of the winter blues which is a mild form of SAD.  The farther north you live, the more at risk you are of having SAD.  SAD affects all age groups with women outnumbering men four to one.

You may have SAD if you experience some of the following:

• A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
• Weight gain
• A heavy feeling in the arms or legs
• A drop in energy level
• Fatigue
• A tendancy to oversleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Increased sensitivity to social rejection
• Avoidance of social situations
• Sad or depressed mood

Full spectrum lighting, which carries most of the frequencies of natural sunlight, stimulates the pineal gland.  This in turn affects the production of melatonin which helps regulate behavior.  Replacing existing lighting with full spectrum bulbs and/or starting the day in front of a light box can improve how you feel.

Winter, along with the accompanying holidays, can be such a vulnerable time for people, that it is important to cut down on exposure to toxic people and situations.  Instead, surround yourself with cheerleaders, people who can give you support.  Finding support groups or enjoyable activies which get you out of the house could help the dark times pass more lightly.

Living in Minnesota is rewarding in many ways.  With awareness and preparation, winter can be dealt with and even enjoyed!

Tel: 952.953.7035
e-mail: sprtwrks@minn.net