ItB次元官网网址檚 not unusual to find your mood matching the gloomy weather this time of year, but what exactly causes those blues and how can you conquer them?

Feeling low might seem like it coincides with the cold and wet weather, but researchers have found it actually has more to do with the shortened daylight between mid-October to the end of February, said Sarah Hamid-Balma, director of mental health promotion with the B.C. branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

B次元官网网址淎bout two to three per cent of British Columbians might have B次元官网网址� seasonal depression. Another 15 per cent or so feel what we call the winter blahs,B次元官网网址� Hamid-Balma said.

A dip in mood could stem from a number of things, she said, but the darkness especially affects peopleB次元官网网址檚 motivation to get out and socialize.

B次元官网网址淭hings like daylight and how hot or cold it is, that might affect how easy it is for us to exercise or our willingness to leave home and see friends. Cold and dark and rainy days can make both of those things really hard.B次元官网网址�

She recommends B次元官网网址渨interizingB次元官网网址� your mental health, just like you would with your car, by eating well, getting plenty of rest and finding ways to exercise indoors.

B次元官网网址淲e tend to think of these things for our physical health. We donB次元官网网址檛 realize just how important they are to our mental well being.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Mental Health Association also recommends trying to get as much exposure to natural light as possible, whether by sitting near a window or taking a walk during a lunch break.

B次元官网网址淓ven if itB次元官网网址檚 slightly cloudy, getting some extra sunlight is good.B次元官网网址�

If things are getting worse, Hamid-Balma said itB次元官网网址檚 important not to diagnose yourself but to make an appointment with a doctor.

Other resources include and , which both focus on mental health issues including seasonal affective disorder.

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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