I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but it’s that time of year

[Indigo Blue]

I can’t take one.more.day.of.cold. And it’s only February 9. 😬

My heat pump feels like it’s blowing cold air. (It’s not). I’m just shivering. It gets dark early still. 
 

The middle of February is when this SAD stuff starts every year. It gets harder as I get older. 
 

My toes are cold. I want hot soup. 
 

I want it to at least be in the mid 60’s. 
 

I did pull out of my driveway yesterday and see ONE daffodil bud that will be popping open soon. 
 

The SAD is real. And I’m so cold.🥶 

[Terabith]

It's 64 degrees here in Roanoke, VA.  Currently sunny but supposed to maybe have some drizzle this weekend.  Come on down!

[Faith-manor]

I don't think I have ever said this in my whole life. Come to Michigan. It is 58° and sunny! 

😱

[Faith-manor]

Also, SAD is real, and I am very sorry you have to deal with it. February is a real bummer for an awful lot of people. When I still had kids at home to school, I thought February was the absolute pits.

[KungFuPanda]

I try to cope with February by doing winter sowing and playing with my seeds. I’ve done none of that so far, but I really need to start my sweet potato slips and buy some potting soil.  I got a new rack for my grow lights but I haven’t put it together yet. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We take planned sun breaks. I dont know if vacationing/working from home elsewhere is feasible in your circumstances, but I highly recommend it. My mood immediately picked up as soon as I stepped into sunlight and 70F+ weather.

[MercyA]

Have you tried a sun lamp? HappyLights from Verilux are highly rated.

Sending hugs and 🌻☀️🌷💐😎!

[mommyoffive]

It is so hard.  I have a hard time staying warm.  How about heating pads or heated blankets?  Some tea?

I get so depressed in Jan and Feb.   I hate living where we do.  We did just get some warm weather which was so nice.  I am just telling myself it is almost March!!!  

[Carol in Cal.]

This year I decided to try to go for a walk any day that it’s sunny out, no matter what the temperature.  This is new, and it’s been amazing for my well being.  I go in the middle of the day when the sun is brightest, not for very long, just 1/2 and hour or a little more.  I am amazed at how great this has been.

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

I can’t take one.more.day.of.cold. And it’s only February 9. 😬

My heat pump feels like it’s blowing cold air. (It’s not). I’m just shivering. It gets dark early still. 
 

The middle of February is when this SAD stuff starts every year. It gets harder as I get older. 
 

My toes are cold. I want hot soup. 
 

I want it to at least be in the mid 60’s. 
 

I did pull out of my driveway yesterday and see ONE daffodil bud that will be popping open soon. 
 

The SAD is real. And I’m so cold.🥶 

Seriously—can you get to a beach for a weekend? Or Vegas? Not for the gambling, but for the sun. The years I have managed to visit Florida or South Carolina just for a few days I have noticed a big difference.

[ScoutTN]

Right there with you. It’s hard. 
Seconding Happy Light. Are you taking Vit D?

Gas heat is lovely. Hot! But we need to run humidifiers because the ultra dry air is awful.

[regentrude]

Thirding Happy Light.

Plus lots of outdoor physical activity - even when it is cold. It really helps the SAD. Unless the windchill is brutal, you can hike in single-digit weather.

 

[CTVKath]

I just want to encourage you that you have just finished the 14 darkest weeks of the year and the days are going to get longer and warmer from here on. I hope you get a warm spell soon to help. 
 

[Pawz4me]

3 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

I can’t take one.more.day.of.cold. And it’s only February 9. 😬

 

This is how I feel in August. Like I can't take one more day of the hideously glaring, baking hot sun and disgusting high humidity. I want to find a dark, cool cave and stay in it. Reverse SAD is real, too.

All that to say -- you have my sympathy.

[forty-two]

SAD bites :hugs.  Until I lived up north, I never understood why people were so down on February - it's my birth month, it's a *great month* - but going on month three of gray & cold, yeah, I came to understand <sigh>.  I dreaded the ending of daylight savings time; those four/five months from Nov to Mar were just so viscerally dark&cold.  I ended up dealing with it by a) putting in daylight LEDs in all my fixtures and opening all the blinds and turning on all the lights the moment I got up, b) religiously walking outdoors every day (most of my winter walks were in twilight but it still helped), and c) using a lamp (getting the equivalent of 30min of 10,000 lux at 16-24in away).  I had to buy the lamp in the summer, though, because I had several years where I thought about getting one once SAD had hit, but couldn't function well enough to actually research and buy one <sigh>.

I'd hoped that moving back south would solve it, but it's still an issue (plus reverse SAD).  Plus a few winters ago I just could not get warm, all winter - it was so awful.  I now have an electric blanket (kept on the couch), electric socks (that I wear when out and about), and down booties (that I wear to bed - ensures that no matter how cold they are when I go to bed, they will be warm when I get up).  The ability to warm up reliably, esp my feet, has helped so much.  And regular(ish) exercise helps me keep from tipping over into the "can't get warm no matter what" state.  (I also invested in some base layers, both to stay warmer and to overcome the mental block of "can't go outside, too cold" - I could be confident that my gear was good enough that I *could* stay warm.)

And after reading here about how coffee can help with mild depression, I started drinking coffee in Dec 2022 - one daily cup - and it has really helped.  I didn't collapse into crying goo come February/March last year, and so far so good this year. 

Hope your area can be unseasonably warm soon <hugs>.

[rebcoola]

Its only 50 here but so gorgeous and sunny its amazing

[Halftime Hope]

Not to derail, but not being able to get warm can also be a symptom of adrenal and/or thyroid issues. If someone did all the SAD mitigation, but the coldness persisted, it might be worth looking into. Hugs, @Indigo Blue.

[Heartstrings]

You've survived the darkest weeks of the season already and we'll gain an hour of daylight over the course of this month; Spring will come! 

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Seriously—can you get to a beach for a weekend? Or Vegas? Not for the gambling, but for the sun. The years I have managed to visit Florida or South Carolina just for a few days I have noticed a big difference.

I’m so embarrassed to tell you that I am in a warm part of the country. I’m just right above the tippy top border of SC. I’m just so cold natured. Tomorrow we’re visiting ds and it will be almost 70. That should help!

[Grace Hopper]

2 hours ago, MercyA said:

Have you tried a sun lamp? HappyLights from Verilux are highly rated.

Sending hugs and 🌻☀️🌷💐😎!

I love my 10K lux happily light from Verilux! 
 

It’s been unseasonably warm and sunny here, so Feb has not been as hard for me as usual. I really struggled through the last half of January, though. Tip from my doc and true ime, start using the light before you think you need it. I’m also instructed to do 5000iu daily of Vit D3 through the shorter days. Basically if we’re not on DST, I’m using my D and light whether or not I feel like I need it. 

[Indigo Blue]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

This is how I feel in August. Like I can't take one more day of the hideously glaring, baking hot sun and disgusting high humidity. I want to find a dark, cool cave and stay in it. Reverse SAD is real, too.

All that to say -- you have my sympathy.

I know you like the winter. I remember we all talked about this last year, too. I believe you about reverse SAD. I hope you’re enjoying the cool months!

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Right there with you. It’s hard. 
Seconding Happy Light. Are you taking Vit D?

Gas heat is lovely. Hot! But we need to run humidifiers because the ultra dry air is awful.

Lots of vitamin D. I’m a stickler for that. 

[Grace Hopper]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

This is how I feel in August. Like I can't take one more day of the hideously glaring, baking hot sun and disgusting high humidity. I want to find a dark, cool cave and stay in it. Reverse SAD is real, too.

All that to say -- you have my sympathy.

I get it - when we lived in south Florida we just arranged our day for siesta in the hottest parts of the day. We were crepuscular outdoor beings! But in the dog days even the predawn hours can be hot and humid, which I agree can be miserable. 

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, MercyA said:

Have you tried a sun lamp? HappyLights from Verilux are highly rated.

Sending hugs and 🌻☀️🌷💐😎!

I bought one last year when we had a thread about them. I haven’t used mine this year because I have discovered after moving the spare bedroom around that the sun shines VERY brightly onto the bed for about 3 hours per day. I rip the curtains open while I’m still in bed and I spend 30 minutes to one hour just basking like a turtle with my cat sitting right beside me. She stays there every minute until the sun stops shining there. It really does help! So I haven’t needed the SAD light yet. 

[Arcadia]

Its Lunar New Year (now in Asia, tomorrow in the states) so  🍊 🍊 and photos to hopefully cheer you up. 

ETA: 

photos taken January 26th

Edited February 10 by Arcadia

[Indigo Blue]

Thanks @Arcadia! 

[ScoutTN]

22 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

Basically if we’re not on DST, I’m using my D and light whether or not I feel like I need it. 

This!

[wintermom]

February can be so tough. There are still weeks of winter left and the days are still pretty short (though slowly getting longer). Getting outside, especially on sunny days helps me survive the winter. 

When I can't get my body warm inside, even with layers of clothes and blankets, I take a hot bath. I just need to boost up the internal temp, then I can maintain the temp with blankets. A bath is also very relaxing, and is my best sleep aid. 😊

[prairiewindmomma]

47 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I bought one last year when we had a thread about them. I haven’t used mine this year because I have discovered after moving the spare bedroom around that the sun shines VERY brightly onto the bed for about 3 hours per day. I rip the curtains open while I’m still in bed and I spend 30 minutes to one hour just basking like a turtle with my cat sitting right beside me. She stays there every minute until the sun stops shining there. It really does help! So I haven’t needed the SAD light yet. 

Depending on your latitide, you may still very well benefit from the therapy lamp. The quality of the sunlight you receive very much matters. Your pineal gland needs sufficient stimulation to do its hormonal regulation thing. The therapy lamp is usually like 10,000 lux. Overcast daylight is about 1000 lux. 

[Harriet Vane]

1 hour ago, Indigo Blue said:

I’m so embarrassed to tell you that I am in a warm part of the country. I’m just right above the tippy top border of SC. I’m just so cold natured. Tomorrow we’re visiting ds and it will be almost 70. That should help!

Aww, no need for embarrassment. It's all a matter of what we're used to. It's still winter--less light and lower temperatures even in warm areas. I often struggle to stay warm, especially my hands and feet. I feel only sympathy for you.

I will say that a Happy Light makes a big difference both for me and for our foster teen. I also find that exercise or a hot shower are often the only options for warming up properly. 

[Grace Hopper]

12 hours ago, wintermom said:

February can be so tough. There are still weeks of winter left and the days are still pretty short (though slowly getting longer). Getting outside, especially on sunny days helps me survive the winter. 

When I can't get my body warm inside, even with layers of clothes and blankets, I take a hot bath. I just need to boost up the internal temp, then I can maintain the temp with blankets. A bath is also very relaxing, and is my best sleep aid. 😊

I don’t like to wear long sleeves, especially if I’m doing a lot of work that will have my hands in water a lot. I picked up a number of those fleece zip front vests that I can wear that keep my torso warm but leave my arms free. With a tshirt and sweatpants they work to keep me warm in the house when I’m active. If I’m sitting to read or do computer work I throw a thick cardigan on top. 
 

Also @Indigo Blue waiting til you hit the wall is too late. I mean don’t let it stop you from pulling your light out now, but ideally you want to use it preemptively. It really helps my mood, energy level, and even helps me fall asleep more easily at night. 

[KungFuPanda]

15 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Seriously—can you get to a beach for a weekend? Or Vegas? Not for the gambling, but for the sun. The years I have managed to visit Florida or South Carolina just for a few days I have noticed a big difference.

I used to take my kids to an indoor pool in the winter. It felt so good to sit there in just a bathing suit in all that light, warm air, and humidity. 

[prairiewindmomma]

3 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I used to take my kids to an indoor pool in the winter. It felt so good to sit there in just a bathing suit in all that light, warm air, and humidity. 

We do this also. I'll sit through Youngest's instruction time in the pool on the bleachers (water temp is 84, air temp is 86), and once I'm all warm and limber I work out in the gym during her lap swim time. 

I agree with Grace---don't let yourself hit the wall.  You want to stay as functional as possible and it's a long slide down from optimal to wall.  You want to be feeling GOOD and then any bump up to AWESOME is wonderful.  

In a normal season of spring, we don't have clear skies and 70F weather until late June. We have four more months of overcast and spring temps (50s and 60s). Near daily rain continues through at least March, usually April.  I actually keep doing my lamp beyond the return to daylight savings time.  The quality of light really does matter. 

[Indigo Blue]

@Grace Hopper and @prairiewindmomma thanks. I will try to use the light screen this week. 

[regentrude]

Since you're not somewhere with single digit temps: seriously,  the best way to beat the SAD is to spend time outside. Even when it's grey. Hiking gets the circulation pumping and you see pretty things, and camping in the off-season means wonderful solitude. 

I struggle with SAD pretty bad, but getting out in the woods always lifts my spirits. This morning,  I saw two eagles before 8am :) 

[Laura Corin]

5 hours ago, regentrude said:

Since you're not somewhere with single digit temps: seriously,  the best way to beat the SAD is to spend time outside. Even when it's grey. Hiking gets the circulation pumping and you see pretty things, and camping in the off-season means wonderful solitude. 

I struggle with SAD pretty bad, but getting out in the woods always lifts my spirits. This morning,  I saw two eagles before 8am 🙂

Husband, brought up in Texas and now living in Scotland - which is on a latitude with the Alaska Panhandle - uses a SAD light through the winter but also makes sure to walk for 45 minutes every day, whatever the weather. @Indigo Blue I do recommend bundling yourself into lots of layers and getting out if you can. You may find it more efficacious than your sun basking.

Edited February 11 by Laura Corin