*Verilux The Lighting Company provided a HappyLight for my honest review. Opinions and content belong to jenny at dapperhouse unless otherwise cited.
My Personal Story with S.A.D
Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is something I had never even heard of until I moved to a dark and wintry Illinois from sunny Arizona. I couldn’t understand why I was so tired and “blah” feeling even with all the new excitement of a winter that I had only seen on TV! I didn’t understand how I could be in the car driving in the snow and singing Christmas carols with my amazing kids and suddenly choke back tears. Being depressed didn’t make sense when I had so much that I was happy about. I went to see my doctor who explained S.A.D. and after I giggled a little he reassured me that it is a real thing. He recommended that I get my Vitamin D levels back up to normal with supplements and explained how drops in UVB Rays cause drops in serotonin levels and a disruption of melatonin levels that cause seasonal depression. Specifically Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) are made in your skin when you expose all of your body to summer sun.
Why you can’t get enough sun in the winter.
I knew that I needed to get natural sunlight but this was difficult to do outside when the temps were near freezing and the winds were whipping through Chicago making it feel colder and more painful than zero. You can not get enough by tanning through windows, on cloudy days or in areas with high pollution because these things filter out the UVB rays and only leave the UVA.
I chose to go to an indoor tanning bed where I was careful to never burn or turn my skin pink. I could go in for 12 minutes a time to get my UVB rays and my body could produce 10,000 to 25,000 IU of vitamin D needed to keep me happy!
I also found Verilux; the happylight liberty® 10k natural spectrum® energy lamp. It improves my mood and energy levels by fighting fatigue and increasing alertness!
Prepare to prevent S.A.D.
Now that I know I am prone to get SAD I can prepare ahead of time to keep SAD from effecting me.
I make sure to use my happylight liberty® 10k natural spectrum® energy lamp during the dark and gloomy days to combat the sluggishness and fatigue associated with the winter blues.
I make sure to get vitamin D supplements.
I make myself aware of taking “me” time.
I pay extra attention to being conscious to my moods.
Do you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder?
What strategies do you use to stay happy during the winter months?
This link is a great resource with in depth info about Vitamin D and S.A.D.
