Dimming the Sun and Seasonal Affective Disorder
I just wonder if there might be a relationship between the dimming of the sun (see previous post of 11.25.06) and mood state. My wife and I have both noticed that we are more effected by the shortened days of winter and by several consecutive days of rain. Also over the past several years I have heard more people talking about also feeling similarly. I am not saying that everyone is feeling this but for those who are vulnerable to it, it may be a factor.
I have also noticed that it is not simply a question of winter. I remember commenting several times that during the winters when there is a lot of snow that stays on the ground, even if it turns to "freezer frost," that my mood is not influenced by "the winter." This was never a problem for me in my first 60 years - I'm working on my second 60 years now - and when I heard about the "dimming of the sun" phenomenon it occurred to me that there may just be a correlation between the two given the fact that it is a new phenomenon.
You may be wondering why having snow on the ground for longer periods of time may have an impact on mood. Well, it's really simple; the snow will reflect more light and thus will act like a natural antidote to the impact of less light.
I have also noticed that I am less vulnerable to the winter blues if I "sun" myself. This is one of the exercises recommended nearly 100 years ago by Dr. William Bates. His book: Perfect Eyesight Without Glasses has been of interest to a number of people over the years although it is clearly not part of mainstream thinking. My only reason for mentioning it is because he recommended that people close their eyes and look towards the sun as they gently swing to the left and then to the right with their upper torso and head. It is a very pleasing and relaxing exercise. It also has the effect of letting a considerable amount of sunlight impact on the retina without hurting the eyes - BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR EYELIDS CLOSED. On a bright day my retina is bathed in bright red. It is a very pleasant exercise and I have never felt any discomfort doing this. Remember also that there is no rushing when practising it. Try it, you may find it helpful.
One other thing we have done is to a buy balanced spectrum reading light for our home. It is wonderful to read by and, yes, it reflects more light off the page we are reading.
Another observation I have made is that I have never heard of a person who went on vacation to the Carribean during the winter who came back to New England and complained of feeling depressed while there. Maybe when they returned, giggle, but maybe that is not just related to going back to work but also related to less light again.
Just wondering. I would be curious to hear if others have noticed a similar process.
8 comments:
I watched something about global dimming on PBS last year. Wow - it frightened me. I have never thought about how it would affect seasonal affective disorder.
I recognize a slow decline in enthusiasm for everything in the winter and I know it is related to light. I do the sun looking you describe and at times it feels like a shot in the arm. I'll take a break while riding my Vespa to do this.
My wife and I vacation in early winter or early spring on the Maine coast so I can't relate to the Carribean return but maybe one day we'll try that.
steve
My fathers’ side of the family is Swedish so I have a good measure of Scandinavian blood, and the Scandinavians have some good long experience with S.A.D.
Since I was a kid I've noticed that I get more sensitive, emotional and moody during the months of the shorter days, especially around the holidays near the winter solstice.
Once I began to understand why this was happening I began to appreciate the cycles of my moods.
I believe we're emotionally connected to our environment, affected by planetary cycles, just as the tides rise and fall with the moons’ pull.
Therefore, a full spectrum of emotions would necessarily include at least four seasons, and anything less would---in my opinion---be a detriment to character building, maturity, depth, and insight.
I now find the winter months to be my most thoughtful and introspective time.
Beginning in fall, my journaling seems to gain an added dimension, as the days shorten, and I look inside myself for inspiration instead of relying on the long beautiful warm days for gratification.
I also believe that living with a full range of emotions gives one the emotional experience needed to cope with the unexpected tragedies that darken even the brightest heart now & then.
Cyclical mood swings can be used as tools for creativity too.
As early as age 12, when the commercialism of Christmas began adding to my seasonal gloominess, I would counteract that by hand-making my own gifts and greeting cards, which would immediately improve my outlook. I still do that today.
I've also come to believe that we humans---having evolved to our present state living mostly out-of-doors---spend entirely too much time inside. So I try to go for 5-mile walks at least 4 or 5 days a week, which exposes me to good doses of sunlight.
Still, I want to feel the full range of emotions I'm capable of.
It feels right to let the tears flow at the appropriate time, to grieve when you've lost a loved one, and to have solemn thoughts during troubling times.
Joyfulness, laughter, and lighthearted nonchalance are delightful emotions, but can also be very inappropriate at times.
After all, we probably wouldn’t giggle, and chatter mindless small talk, on the tilting deck of the Titanic, unless we were completely out of touch with the reality of our immediate environment.
I enjoy having the awareness to feel what’s going on around me, of being somewhat attuned to the cycles of nature, and allowing solemnity to overtake me now & then, and I‘d hate to have some pill to mask my feelings.
I certainly find my share of beauty, joy, and love in the world, but I might not know how much that is worth without an understanding of its loss.
Below are excerpts from Kahlil Gibran’s thoughts on Joy and Sorrow from ‘The Prophet’.
“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.”
Thank you one and all for your comments.
Jim, you address the natural antidotes of being outside, exercising, "sunning yourself" and breathing deeply on your walks.
But you also touch on finding the truth othat you can't have the front without the back, the up without the down. Our society is constantly trying to slip that one over one us. Those who buy into it will progressively find themselves feeling weaker and more vulnerable. I like to say that it is not a "hot-house world." Yet all the advertising is holding that out as the goal...no pain, no discomfort, instant gratification, etc.
Jim, Steve, and Emme, I sense that you are all on a path of becoming "cage-free."
Maybe we should start a movement for those who want to be cage-free and roaming. Why should the chickens have all the fun?
An added dimension to "sunning" yourself with your eyes closed: If you look at the sun with your eyes closed, and also swing your torso left and right, you will also be "training" your sense of balance.
The term used is proprioception. You can look it up in wikipedia, but the basic point is that by swinging your body while your eyes are closed, you are (mostly) depriving your body of the usual cues from your senses which are helpful in maintaining your balance while moving.
For most people this is taken for granted and "no big deal." As you get older that internal sense needs to be "trained" to keep it in good form. It is such a low tech and useful exercise!
I hear light boxes help, but is it important to use the light box at a specific time each morning or just sometime in the morning? I found some good advice here too: http://www.howtodothings.com/health-fitness/how-to-deal-with-seasonal-affective-disorder but I think I need a light box...
Browyn,
Thanks for stopping by and I'll return the favor.
My guess is that it doesn't make much of a difference as to whether you have a specific time or any time in the a.m. But there's no doubt in my mind and experience that if you do it in the morning, it helps to start the day on a better foot.
I have also done the "sunning" in the afternoon...basically, any time is better than no time.
I don't have one of the light boxes but my wife and I bought a high intensity lamp and we use it for reading. The bulb has four cylinders and the label says "balanced spectrum." I can look right at the light and it doesn't hurt my eyes. It illuminates a page wonderfully and is much better than an incandescent bulb.
I hope you have a good year.
Tim
Thanks! I hadn't heard of high intensity lamps - I will have to check those out.
Post a Comment