When the days grow shorter and cold weather settles in, moods can shift and spirits may fall. This seasonal change is commonly known as the “winter blues” (also referred to as the “winter doldrums”), and it can be particularly challenging for older adults. Fortunately, it’s possible to beat the winter blues with the right strategies and some self-compassion.
Find out why some people get the winter blues, why it can be hard for older adults to experience, and how seniors and their caregivers can take proactive steps to help overcome the dark cloud hanging over the winter months.
Understanding the Winter Blues
When you’re feeling lower than usual, you may wonder if you’re depressed. However, the winter blues are milder than both clinical depression (also known as major depressive disorder) and seasonal affective disorder.
The winter doldrums are also temporary. The condition can make you feel out of sorts, which is a normal response to the change in seasons. You may feel sad and have low energy levels, wanting to stay home instead of meeting up with friends. But unlike people with depression, those with the January blues can usually still sleep, eat, go to work, interact with others, and function like they normally would, even though they’re feeling down.
When the Winter Blues Is Something More
Clinical depression doesn’t fluctuate with the seasons, and it often doesn’t resolve on its own. Depression generally needs to be diagnosed and treated by a healthcare professional to improve.
People with depression feel sad or hopeless for two weeks or longer. They may eat too much or too little. They may have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleep longer than they should. They may feel tired all the time, lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, experience feelings of worthlessness, or find that basic tasks like getting out of bed are challenging.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is one type of depression that does come and go. It typically lasts through the fall and winter. SAD is more serious than the winter blues, with some people experiencing the same symptoms of clinical depression. They may sleep too much, overeat, and crave comfort foods. People with SAD are also typically diagnosed by a healthcare professional and receive treatment to improve.
Why Winter Can Hit Seniors Hard
Older adults may feel the impact of darker evenings and cold temperatures more acutely. These are some of the top reasons seniors are more susceptible to the winter blues:
- Increased Social Isolation: You may have fewer opportunities to socialize in the colder months, when people tend to stay home. After the holidays pass, you might see loved ones less than you’d like. You might start feeling lonely, especially if you live by yourself.
- Decreased Mobility: When it’s snowy, icy, or just too cold, you might not want to venture outside because of winter safety concerns. You might make fewer trips to the supermarket or pharmacy. If you go for daily walks, winter weather could prevent you from staying physically active.
- Weather-Related Anxiety: Are you worried about slipping on an icy path or losing sensation in your toes on freezing days? A heightened sense of danger can increase your stress levels. When safely going outside is impossible, it’s crucial to find ways to redirect your nervous energy to engage in indoor activities.
- Holiday Season Stress: Before the holidays, you may feel anxious, unsure if you’ll get all of the baking, cleaning, shopping, and gift-giving done. Afterward, you may feel let down if you don't have more upcoming events to anticipate.
Recognizing Winter Blues Symptoms
The symptoms of winter blues are different and milder than the symptoms of SAD. Understanding the symptoms may help you recognize that you’re experiencing the winter doldrums so that you can take steps to address the issue and start feeling better.
Signs of the winter blues include:
- Changes in mood, causing you to feel sad or irritable
- Feeling less energetic than usual
- Having trouble sleeping
Symptoms of SAD, but not the winter blues, include:
- Fatigue
- Sleeping much more than you do at other times of the year
- Having a decrease or increase in your appetite
- Craving carbohydrate-heavy comfort foods
- Overeating, leading to weight gain
- Spending more time alone, not interacting with loved ones
- Feeling anxious or hopeless
- Thinking about death or suicide
If you think you’re experiencing the winter blues, making lifestyle changes should boost your mood. But if you believe you may have SAD, a type of clinical depression, make an appointment with a healthcare professional.
Practical Ways to Treat the Winter Blues
It’s possible to manage the winter blues on your own, with friends, family, or your caregiver. Adopting lifestyle changes can improve your mood and, sometimes, your overall health, too.
Soak Up the Sun
The winter blues arise during the cold, dark months, which can feel dreary and unpleasant. Taking in more sunlight often helps. If you go outside during the winter, take a walk in the morning when the sky is bright. If you don’t go out much, you can get a similar effect by sitting in front of a window that gets bright sunshine.
Find Ways to Exercise
Physical activity has been proven to help improve mood. If you’ve become more sedentary during the chilliest time of year, try to exercise daily. When it’s too cold or icy out, find ways to exercise indoors. Some people create an indoor walking course through their home or go to an enclosed track or a shopping mall. Other options include yoga, cardio exercises such as cycling or dancing, and low-impact water aerobics.
Eat Healthy Foods
A nutritious diet that’s focused on whole foods should help support your mood and give you the energy to stay active. Eat leafy greens and lean protein, including fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain health. Limit the amount of sugar and caffeine you take in to prevent energy crashes, and stay hydrated by drinking water and tea.
Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule
If you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, your body should recognize when it’s time to feel tired. You may need to try sleep solutions if you're struggling to fall or stay asleep or you don't feel refreshed in the morning. Exposure to sunlight starting early in the day can help you feel sleepier at bedtime by giving cues to your body's internal clock.
Participate in Social Activities
Spending time with people you love, or doing enriching activities that you’re enthusiastic about with like-minded people, can put you in a positive frame of mind. Invite someone over to do crafts, cook or bake, help decorate for the holidays, or play board games together. Look for senior fairs and other indoor gatherings, where you can mingle with peers—possibly some including singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or other ways to get in some light movement. If you have a gym in your neighborhood that offers fitness classes, you’ll get twice the benefits: social interaction plus physical activity.
Seek Professional Help
If you make lifestyle changes and don’t see an improvement in your symptoms, it may be more than the winter doldrums. If your healthcare provider diagnoses clinical depression or SAD, different treatments are available, including antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy (a form of talk therapy), and light therapy.
BrightStar Care® Is Here to Provide Support for Your Loved Ones
It isn’t uncommon to experience the winter blues during the coldest months. Once you can recognize the symptoms, you can adopt habits designed to help you feel better. Exposure to sunlight early in the day is key. Making changes to your diet, exercise regimen, and sleep schedule can also help.
If you’re concerned about an elderly friend, neighbor, or relative, check in with them. If their symptoms suggest SAD or clinical depression and not the winter blues, consider suggesting they talk with their healthcare provider.
BrightStar Care caregivers can also support your caregiving efforts, and their companionship can boost moods and ease loneliness for seniors. Whether you’re looking for in-home care services or a reliable medical staffing partner for your organization, our experienced, nurse-led care team is ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online, or call (866) 618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.