Many people suffer from seasonal depression during Calgary’s dark winter months. It’s a topic of discussion many of us avoid, but it’s nothing to shy away from, as 1 in 20 people will experience it annually, and many others will experience symptoms of SAD on the same spectrum. Being exposed to natural light or a medically certified SAD light can ameliorate the effects of SAD, but there are a number of small changes you can make to your home in the winter months to make it even easier.
Take Advantage of Windows: There’s nothing quite like natural light, so the best thing you can do in our light-deprived months of January and February is to spend as much time as you can outdoors or around natural light. If you’re doing something at home, try to sit near to a window. Even when the sky is grey, the vitamin D that our bodies get from the sun will still shine through the clouds. Though the weather may be nippy, try to get outside when the bright winter sun is out. Here’s why it will help…
Circadian Rhythms: Our sleep patterns are regulated by the release of the chemicals serotonin and melatonin from the pineal gland in our brain. These chemicals respond to our exposure to light, so if you move to a different time zone (after the period of what we call “jet lag”) your body will re-adjust to the sunlight it receives and change its chemical balance accordingly. Unfortunately, with the very little sunlight and indoor lifestyles many of us have in the winter months, our body’s can get a bit confused. SAD lights use very specific frequencies of our light spectrum to simulate sunlight in the day – they say the best time to use a SAD light is early morning to mid-day. This helps to stimulate the chemicals serotonin and melatonin so they retain the same patterns for our body clock.
Reflect It! If you think you might have seasonal depression, speak to your doctor about changes to your lifestyle that can be made for the most effective treatment. This may include changing your diet or working near an SAD light during the day. If you don’t think you’re experiencing seasonal depression, but you want to make some changes to your home, House of Mirrors can help! First, we would ask you about the light sources you have in your home. Are they natural or artificial? Could the natural light be enhanced by the placement of one of our custom mirrors? Could your light fixtures use different bulbs that work better with your body’s circadian rhythms?
These questions can be answered, and many of our beautiful designs shown to you, if you come visit us at our Calgary location. Make the time to come in and speak to one of our specialists at our showroom. We look forward to seeing you! F#24, 5555 2nd St S.E. T2H 2W4
