

When the weather gets colder; when we see the sun less; when the holidays come and go and leave us feeling empty; when it becomes harder and harder to get outside for that workout or bike ride; No matter how active, optimistic or generally upbeat you are, there are times of the year when we all get a little bummed out. Maybe for you, that time of the year isn’t the winter at all. Maybe every May you get down because that’s when your mother passed away and it is a reminde she isn’t there anymore. Maybe you live in an area that is so hot, it makes it impossible to get outside when the sun is up during the summer. The lack of vitamin D really weighs on you that time of year.
So what is that feeling? Is it normal? Well, if “normal” means lots of other women experience the same thing, then YES!
Seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a mood disorder—just like any other type of depression. However, this depression occurs annually during a certain time. It could be triggered by daylight savings time ending, a holiday, colder or wetter weather, by loss, or really anything.
Debra Stanfield is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of California. She specializes in working with the rehabilitation population and has had a generous amount of experience with all types of depression. According to Debra, SAD episodes occur more frequently in women and it is common for them to occur around the holidays.
“I think it has something to do with expectations of the holidays as well as it being darker. For women, we have to be the superhuman worker and mother and have the perfectly clean house and the food ready. Sometimes we feel like we just want to hit the fast forward button to January.”
We talked with some of our Liv Ambassadors in different parts of the United States to see if these amazing athletes, mothers and business owners had ever experienced Seasonal Depression. The response blew us away.
One bike shop co-owner in Minneapolis, Minnesota can relate to what Debra is talking about.
“Yes, the amount of light and the ability to be outside and be active affects me. But it is also the things that happen around this time. The holidays play into it. I found that my reaction to the holidays and the expectations of me around this time played into my feelings of wellbeing. It was harder for me to do the things that usually make me feel good.”
About 10 of our 110 US ambassadors responded to our inquiry about SAD. But keep in mind, these 10 women know that they have SAD and have the courage to share their story. Many women who may be depressed don’t know they have it or may feel ashamed to admit it. So, how do you know you are depressed versus just a little bummed about the weather?
“It is important to have people you can trust in your life that can see this pattern. Whether it is a good friend, partner or doctor, you need to have someone who you can ask, ‘What do you notice about me, is there anything different?” According to Debra, it is sometimes difficult to notice changes within yourself. You are so busy with work, kids, training or whatever you have going on that it is hard for you to tell when a pattern of depression starts showing up. Start paying attention to your body, here are some symptoms of depression to look for:
Debra emphasizes the importance of asking for help if you feel like you are experiencing any of these symptoms or if your friends and family notice any of these symptoms in your behavior.
“It is not a failure to have depression show up. It is just like any other disease. But, one of the tendencies we have as high-performing women is feeling like asking for help is a failure. If you had diabetes you would ask for help. This is no different. Let’s destigmatize depression.”
Hallelujah, Debra!
So, we asked our Ambassadors how they cope with their Seasonal Depression. These are women who have sought help and are taking control of their depression. They had some great advice:
Want to read more awesome stories of women conquering their darker days? Click below!