Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is something over seven million Canadians suffer with.

“I start feeling very groggy and sleepy,” Fanshawe student, Daniel Hernandez said. “I find it really hard to be productive.”

SAD is a form of depression linked to seasons. The most common form of SAD is over the fall and winter months, but some people experience SAD in the spring and summer months, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

“It manifests as a big lack of motivation,” Fanshawe student, Mik Hawley said. “When the weather is colder, and the sun isn’t out I just find it really hard to motivate myself to do stuff.”

Some symptoms of SAD include sleeping more, feeling tired all the time, lacking motivation, feeling sad, feeling hopeless, avoiding people are activities you usually find joy in, and feeling stressed, according to the CMHA.

“I find not having the sun in the morning makes it really hard for me to want to get up and want to be productive,” Fanshawe student, Lauryn Neill said. “I usually find myself just wanting to stay in bed and not be productive, and I just feel very down like nothing that normally makes me happy will make me happy.”

To help cope with the symptoms of SAD, the CMHA suggests trying to spend more time outdoors, leaving the curtains open during the day to get more sun, adding exercise to your routine, and taking a noon-hour walk.

Hernandez added that he finds when he is feeling like this, he turns to TV shows, which help distract him but end up making him feel worse because he isn’t being productive.

“I reach out to my friends and family to talk, and I play online games with my friends which I find helps me when seasonal depression hits,” Hernandez continued.

SAD may make it hard to implement changes to better your mental health, but it is important to maintain your mental health and sometimes that means doing things you may not want to do.

“I usually get into my sweat suit, grab a fuzzy blanket, fuzzy slippers, a nice candle and my favourite drink and just relax and read and try to think about the good things in life,” Neill added.

Fifteen per cent of Canadians with SAD have a mild case that allows them to live their life without any major disruptions, but between two to three per cent experience severe SAD symptoms. Adults between the ages of 18 and 50, women, and people living in northern cities are more likely to experience SAD in their lifetime, according to the CMHA.

“I just want people to know to be patient, sometimes it feels like I’m having a full-blown war with my head just to get out of bed,” Neill said. “Sometimes I just need some time to sort through the mess in my head.”

If you feel like you are experiencing SAD, you can reach out to Fanshawe Accessibility and Counselling Services by emailing counselling@fanshawec.ca or by calling 519-452-4282.