Getting the Seasonal Blues | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 11/29/2012

In North Dakota, we usually get the colder temperatures and grey skies for much of the fall and winter months and it could leave some people feeling a little blue. When the weather changes, so can our moods and when it`s cold and dark out, like many winter days in North Dakota. Because of this, many people can get seasonal affective disorder.

"I can see where there`s a lack of motivation, cause it in the winter it is- it gets pretty nasty here," said Brock Klein, YMCA Youth Sport Director.

Seasonal affective disorder is a depression-like state that can happen in some particular seasons.

"But in North Dakota, obviously, it`s very, there`s a lot of people that have it because of the no sun for months. Or the cold, the snow, people just want to stay inside," said Trinity nurse practitioner Kristin Chausse.

"Oh, I`m sure it`s pretty easy to just sit in the house when it gets bad out. Everybody wants to sit indoors or shut down, there`s not a lot to do if your not from here." said Klein.

North Dakota has some of the highest seasonal affective disorder rates in the country. While we can`t control the weather, we can control a plan to survive those winter blues.

Surrounding yourself in a well lit and active area like the gym is one way to fight seasonal depression.

"Also enjoying the outdoor activities. I made myself take hunter safety, snow skiing, let`s see what else, ice skating, those types of activities. Any type of things, ice cream with your children, making the angels, making slushies with the snow, doing things to enjoy the outdoors," said Chausse.

If the outdoors is not for you, there are indoor activities to keep you occupied until it warms up.

"It`s amazing you will see that kind of lull and as spring hits everyone is out there. Trimming their trees, and probably before we should, putting out the flowers before we should and then hauling them back in. But you do that boost of energy so again that kinda tells us that it is a seasonal disorder and then they feel better," said Chausse.

So until the sun comes out, there are ways to bring the light back into those darker days.

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