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Have you ever experienced less motivation, more lethargy, increased appetite,
weight gain, and even mild depression in the winter months? Much of this may
have more to do with the amount of light your eyes are exposed to than what is
going on in your life.
Shorter, darker winter days and more time spent
indoors during is associated with a rise in and the onset of
depression. With the exception of the warm, sunny Southern California days most
people spend less time outside in bright sunlight and less time exercising
during the winter than during the summer months. The increased reports of
depression during winter led to the naming of the seasonally related
disorder as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). And
that, SAD, is just what many people are when the days get colder and
shorter.
Numerous studies have looked into the beneficial effects of both bright light
exposure and exercise in treating SAD and mild depression. In one study,
Partonen and colleagues found that exercising in super bright light
significantly reduced seasonal depression more than exercising in normal light.
In another study they reported significant improvements in mood and reductions
in depression with as little as 15 minutes of bright light exposure after
two-weeks of treatment. In further research, exercise and bright light exposure
combined outperformed either form of therapy alone.
If you can't get out into the bight sunlight or the weather isn't cooperating
you can purchase specific lights and light bulbs to meet your needs. A study
reported in the journal Biological Psychology found that narrow
bandwidth blue light was more effective than red light at reversing major
symptoms of depression resulting from SAD.
So don't let the winter months get you down. Try to get out in the sunlight
for at least 15 minutes a day and combine that with a brisk walk or other form
of exercise to help ward off your winter time SADness. | 
