Seasonal Change and Low Mood in the Okanagan

Every year around this point, people start describing the same thing. Harder mornings. Less interest in plans. A heaviness that wasn't there in August and can't quite be attributed to anything specific.

Reduced daylight has a measurable effect on mood, sleep and energy for a significant number of people, and in the Interior the shift is compounded by the inversion and grey stretches that can settle in for weeks.

What It Looks Like

Seasonal low mood often presents differently from depression at other times of year. Rather than difficulty sleeping, many people sleep considerably more and still feel unrested. Rather than losing appetite, appetite often increases, particularly for carbohydrates.

Alongside that: reduced motivation, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, and a sense of moving through the day at half speed.

It usually begins as the light drops and lifts in spring, which is part of how it's distinguished from depression that runs year-round.

What Helps

Light, early. Getting outside within an hour or two of waking, even on an overcast day, provides far more light than indoor lighting does. On genuinely dark mornings some people find a light therapy lamp useful — worth discussing with your doctor, particularly if there's any history of bipolar disorder, where light exposure needs more care.

Protect the rhythm. Consistent wake times matter more in winter, not less. The pull to sleep in extends the drift.

Keep moving, and keep going outside. Both are the first things to go and among the most effective to retain. This doesn't require ambition — a short walk at lunch counts.

Front-load the social contact. Winter withdrawal compounds quickly. Plans made in advance are more likely to survive than plans that depend on how you feel on the day.

Don't wait for motivation. It arrives after action rather than before it, and this is more pronounced at this time of year.

When to Get Support

If it returns every year and disrupts work or relationships, if it's deepening rather than plateauing, or if it's arriving earlier each season, it's worth addressing rather than enduring on an annual basis.

It's also worth having bloodwork done — thyroid function and vitamin D are reasonable things to rule out.

Counselling can help with the behavioural patterns that deepen it, and with anything the season is sitting on top of.

If you're in Vernon, BC, reach out to book a free consultation.

If you're having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 9-8-8, or call 310-6789 in BC.