The SAD Girl Survival Guide

How I'm planning to lighten up the big dark

I call this photo: “Seattle Summer.” It was taken in my backyard on August 23. Since the grass is dead, I’ll give the sun a few points for showing up enough to do that.

It’s September, and here in the upper left USA, it means the dark days are near. We can usually count on the end of June to the beginning of September for sunshine and warm weather, but the fun part about living in the Pacific Northwest is that you really can’t ever count on the weather. As a result, this summer has been a particularly cruel one, with more clouds and rain (including a rare thunderstorm) this August than any other August of my lifetime – at least that’s how it feels to me.

I’ve talked before about how the changing of the seasons is always a struggle for me, and I’ve posted about it while in the thick of it, so you’re probably wondering why I continue to do this to myself if it impacts me so much. The answer is I’m apparently a masochist – that and my family and all of my friends are here. I’m deeply rooted, so here I stay.

It’s also because the three-ish months we get of good weather are enough to trick you into staying all year (or the rest of your life). Our world shifts from gray to technicolor. Our summer blues come in the form of mountain peaks, cloudless skies, and ocean waves. Our trees stay green and our sunsets turn tangerine. It’s light until bedtime and we stay up watching shooting stars in our t-shirts, only wishing we had AC three days out of the whole year. It’s paradise.

And then, it’s fall.

If you ask me, it’s called “fall” because that’s how it feels coming down from such a high. We ride cloud nine until the seasons change and then we plummet back to reality and the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sets in. I know I’m not really giving fall enough credit, it is still filled with plenty of color, from the changing leaves to the pumpkins dotting our porches, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s still just pre-winter. It’s still the precursor to the gray.

This year, however, I have a plan. In fact, I have what I’m calling the SAD Girl Survival Guide. This will likely be an evolving, growing list as I discover more over time, but for now, I see it as a solid foundation.

Step 1: Lean into seasonality

Last year, I could tell the end of the summer was going to hit me hard, so I did my best to mitigate it by getting myself excited about the new season. Like with my recent A Midsummer Night’s Dream dinner party, I leaned into the seasonality and hosted a fall dinner party for a few friends, complete with an autumnal menu, place settings, and floral arrangements. This not only brought me and others joy, but sparked other seasonal gatherings, like craft nights where we thrifted votives to pour our own candles or made squiggly ghosts out of candlesticks. We’re already talking about doing it again!

Step 2: Make everything as cozy as possible

If we can’t go outside, we’ve got to make the best of being inside – and being cozy is a non-negotiable. Call me Goldilocks, but I find it hard to be happy when I’m uncomfortable. Everything should be soft and warm. I’m talking matching lounge sets, fuzzy socks or slippers, and lots and lots of blankets. Also, bubble baths, candles, and fireplaces (if you have one).

Step 3: Get some moody media on board

I may hate on the gray weather, but one perk is the lack of guilt I feel about staying indoors. It makes curling up with a good book, movie, or TV show all the better – and like with Step 1, seasonality can add to the fun. It’s the perfect time to read some dark academia (my favorite is If We Were Villains), rewatch a classic show like Gilmore Girls, or have a movie marathon (you best believe I’m referring to Harry Potter and/or Twilight here).

Step 4: Nourish the body – and soul

Multiple studies have found a correlation between food and mood. Nutrient-rich, whole foods are proven to reduce inflammation and promote healthy digestion, which in turn help balance our hormones and support brain function. Additionally, foods (or supplements) high in omega-3 fatty acids have been seen to alleviate symptoms of depression, especially in conjunction with an antidepressant, according to the National Library of Medicine. Soups are my favorite way to get the nutrients my body needs, plus it just feels right to eat and drink warm foods and beverages during cold seasons.

As necessary as it is to feed the body, I’ve found that feeding my soul, especially during the darker months, is important too. With fewer plans and distractions, I find it easier to go inward and make time for myself either by journaling or engaging in a creative practice. Both of these things help me feel a little more alive and more connected to myself.

Step 5: When all else fails, try synthetic sunlight

The biggest impact on mood during the darker months is obviously the lack of sunlight (as seen by my rant in the beginning of this post). Sunlight helps our bodies create vitamin D, which according to sources like Mayo Clinic, is said to contribute to bone health and support our immune system, muscle function, and brain cell activity. Yet according to UW Medicine, more than a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient, especially those living above the 37th parallel of latitude (which, fun fact, is most of the U.S.). The jury is a bit mixed on vitamin D supplements, and because of this, I’ve been historically terrible at taking one. However, on the whole, sources like Mayo Clinic suggest 600 IUs for anyone under the age of 70, and others say to look for reputable brands with D3, which is the same type of vitamin D our skin makes when exposed to the sun.

Research is also finding light therapy to be just as effective as antidepressants or psychotherapy for both seasonal depression and nonseasonal depression. As a staunch therapy-goer, I find this astonishing. It’s not enough to make me want to stop therapy, but it is definitely something I’m interested in trying.

All in all, I’m hoping that taking a more mindful and intentional approach this season will help me feel better during the big dark.

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Author’s Note: If you have any tips or tricks for keeping spirits up during the darker, colder, grayer times of the year, I’d love to hear them!