The Sun Will Soon Be Working Part Time Until February
Get ready to be SAD because starting next month daylight will be less and it could actually make you depressed. Great news, right? (It sucks, I know.)
Rockford Meteorologist Viki Knapp broke the sad news on Facebook reminding us the shortest days of the year are rapidly approaching. In fact, many people will start and end their day in the dark. Much of the days will see just over 9 hours of daylight. Oh, and there's more great news when it comes to shorter amounts of daylight. Depression. (Let's all sigh together.)
Lack of sunlight can be a real trigger for depression, according to Wikipedia.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called winter depression, winter blues, summer depression, and seasonal depression, is a mood disorder subset in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year exhibit depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most commonly in the winter.
Yay, right? Everydayhealth.com says has some ways to combat said "SAD" season and are easy to do. I've listed a few and added a little of my own.
- Go for an afternoon walk (if possible) during the daylight. Dress warm and hit up the bike path and enjoy the scenery.
- Catch up on your favorite feel-good tv series or movies.
- Hang out with people that don't suck.
- Keep yourself warm. Overdress if need be.
- Grab a bite at one of Rockford's many new restaurants downtown and enjoy the beautiful riverfront.
The list goes on-and-on so I challenge you to challenge yourself in being as positive as possible. Accept the fact that we're in the midwest and it will be cold. Make the best of it!