Combatting the Invisible Seasonal Depression, is Rough

I’ve formerly worked in the mental health field for over two years now, and above all else, I’m someone who struggles with mental illness as well. We’re all human and are prone to feeling things that we cannot understand. In this article, I’ll mainly be speaking about my personal experiences, as I do not believe in giving advice outside of seeing a license therapist.

For those of you who may be new to my content or social media, I will begin by saying that I’m an introverted nerd that loves to read, drink tea, play video games, and stress about my professional writing. In my immediate family, we all have a basic understanding of the winter holiday season. My father passed away on January 3rd of 2006. When November hits, it’s just a common understanding when the energy shifts into a more quiet and solemn feeling during the wintertime. Just by being a young adult, I’ve experienced good and bad over the years as well. This season also tends to bring up the anniversary of these moments. And lastly, it’s cold and nobody wants to be out in the cold… So, what do we do? Cuddle up indoors! If you have household family or roommates, it may be a little easier to stay distracted. If you live alone, it may be more difficult to navigate this season altogether. For me, I like to focus on doing small activities throughout the day that bring me joy. With it being dark and cold outside for several days and weeks on end, it can be difficult to even find the need to get out of bed except for using the restroom. Whether it’s crafting the perfect cup of tea or attending a therapy session, remember that you are not alone, and that just getting out of bed in the morning is an accomplishment itself.

I do really like espresso, in fact, I’m drinking one now. But, crafting the perfect cup of tea brings me a phenomenal sense of accomplishment. I have my own collection of herbs in glass jars and decide what my body needs in the moment. Whether it’s fresh lavender for anxiety or crushed skullcap for period cramps, pairing these different herbs together, allow my body to be productive along with my mind. Like anything else, it’s a process, and steeping your own tea can sometimes be a little chaotic. Otherwise, it’s delicious and I shamefully admit that I do add cream to my tea on “occasion”. For me, this makes the tea feel “fuller”. The cup of tea feels a little more complete to me. I do love supporting the small businesses of Nashville whenever I can, and they provide the highest quality coffee and tea available. Starbucks has a fun selection of holiday drinks every year, which is great and fantastic, but I personally do not need the excessive sugar! Finding a small coffee shop that brings you peace is truly a gift. I had tried several different ones near me, and they were either too crowded, stand-offish staff, odd menu selections, etc. I found one in Smyrna that I visit one day out of the week and it’s a tiny hub for artists and writers to spend time and work on their projects while enjoying great food, desserts, and coffee. There are hundreds, if not thousands of coffee shops in America. Don’t be afraid to try a few of them out and get a feel for the place. It’s a wonderful way to get out of the house without having to socialize much if you prefer not to, and I definitely prefer not to. Getting creative with your time is essential during the holiday season.

As forementioned, I really like to read! I’m currently reading through a couple different physical novels as well as some spicy fanfiction, because ‘tis the season! I’m currently reading through Alan Rickman’s diaries ‘Madly, Deeply’, an absolute work of art. I’m also alternating between reading and watching the Harry Potter series again, as well as fanfiction whenever my imagination roams. I’m also very interested in true crime shows/documentaries. Several new ones have been released this month, so the list on my page continues to grow. In high school, I took a forensics course and thought I wanted to be a forensic scientist. After a field trip the cadaver lab, I had fun but realized this isn’t something I envisioned myself doing daily for 40+ years. About a year ago, I decided to get a Discovery+ membership after the free trial, and the amount if true crime shows/documentaries are endless. It is singlehandedly, probably, one of my greatest $5 investments so far. When I’m not writing, I have to be reading. Escaping to a different world for a few hours every night is my favorite way to end the day. I’m very much into fantasy, magical-type stories and I’m very picky about the ones I choose to read. Nevertheless, I am taking suggestions and hope you all put your favorite books to read in the comments below! It’s never a bad thing to expand your genre palette, although I am hesitant to do so.

Another activity that helps me 365 days a year, not just during the fall/winter season, is seeing a therapist: investing in my mental health! Whether it’s one time, once a month, biweekly, or once a week, I will never stop suggesting how beneficial it is to meet with a licensed mental health professional. Therapy isn’t about spilling your deepest darkest secrets, although you can, it’s about talking through and working through situations, experiences, delusions, etc. Therapy is about gaining the necessary tools to continue evolving throughout life and learning how to process and adapt to situations that can deeply impact your mental well-being. During this time of year, it’s not uncommon to feel a range of emotions. My therapist gave me very sound advice during my last session that stuck with me, “you’re allowed to feel deeply profound sadness…” Which means, it’s okay to feel the way that we feel! Feeling sad should not be labeled in our minds as “bad”. It’s an emotion which we cannot avoid. What we do with the sadness is what counts. I’m an artistic person, so I enjoy writing about what I’m feeling or painting how I feel. Now, what I write and paint whenever I feel sad is not necessarily something that I will publish or show to others, but it’s a way that I can privately express how I feel. Other times, the things we create within our lowest emotions or sadness can be a work of art. Whenever someone connects with what you’re expressing, that’s art. We all feel such a wide variety of emotions, it’s refreshing when you realize that other people have experienced what you’re feeling; it reminds you that you aren’t alone. It does not matter your age or generation; you deserve to be able to talk about and process the traumas you have experienced within your lifetime, even if you just decide to try therapy once. Losing a loved one through death or disconnecting, can be a traumatic experience. Getting a divorce can be a traumatic experience. Having a miscarriage can be a traumatic experience. Moving to a new city and adjusting can be acutely traumatic and stressful. The list can go one forever, as we cannot pick and choose how our brain reactions to the different scenarios and situations we face daily. I understand that some people can be “head strong” and believe that venting to a friend or family member is equivalent to or if not the same as therapy. It’s not. I personally believe that it is quite unfair to dump your personal issues on family and friends regularly, especially if you’re not sure if the person you’re venting to is even in the space to hear what you’re saying. On the flip side, no one deserves to keep what they’re struggling with to themselves. Everyone deserves to be able to get things off their chest, without “dumping” all of these concerns on friends and family who aren’t licensed professionals. Friends and family are also not bound by HIPAA, which means your friends and family can tell other people if they choose to; licensed professionals cannot and will not. The fall/winter season is exceptionally challenging for me, and I could continue to go on about the personal benefits of therapy. My only advice I will give in this post, is to try it for yourself and let me know how it goes!

Lastly, I love games; plain and simple. Whether it’s video games, card games, board games, game shows, etc. I absolutely love games. My favorite thing to do after a crazy day is queue up a ranked match in League of Legends and just let the toxicity loose. One thing I enjoy doing whenever I’m with my cousins, is playing the family card games. These games never fail to be unforgettable. This past Thanksgiving, we all played ‘Show Me You Know Me’ after dinner, and it was nothing but chaotic fun. I love to laugh and make people laugh and these types of family games evoke just that. I basically won, because I have a keen sense of being able to “read the room” and make the correct assumptions based on scenarios versus someone’s personality, or so I think I can. I’m very nice with Blackjack, I haven’t been good at Uno or Spades since I graduated from TSU, and I still don’t understand War or Solitaire. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed to be very good with video games. In my free time, I like to play ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘GTA V’ with friends online. The funniest thing about video games, is when people get angry and things that they say whenever they are livid. An old-school ‘Call of Duty’ lobby would’ve been “canceled” or “banned” after the first few hours. There’s nothing more toxic than the team chat in League of Legends, whenever there’s more than a 5-point deficit and someone wants to forfeit, even if they’re not carrying. One thing I’ve wanted to try, but never have, is VR gaming. I’ve seen some hilarious clips from Twitch streamers, and they have almost any game, such as ‘Family Feud’ or ‘Among Us’ available through VR. VR chat however is not something I would ever want to try, and neither should you. All this to say, getting creative with your free time in the winter is key. Whether you’re making the perfect cup of tea/coffee, finding a great book or movie to pass the time, beginning to research therapists in your area, or thinking about trying a new game; you aren’t alone. These are just a few of the things that have kept me busy over the years, what are some things that have helped you combat seasonal depression? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

I would be remiss if I didn’t provide some resources to help you along your mental health journey! Here are just a few that’ve served me, and so many others, well.

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National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great resource for learning more about you or a loved one’s mental health, and finding resources for the support that you may need.

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