Turning back our clocks. Darkness when you wake up and the darkness when you get off work. The lack of exercise because you want to stay in bed. Telling a friend 8 p.m. is too late for a walk around the neighborhood. All of this can only mean one thing…winter is coming. For many, seasonal depression often called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has begun to sneak in through these cold, wet, and damp weeks. If isolation from Covid-19 during the spring and summer was not bad enough, you may be starting to worry about how you are going to fare through the winter months. Rest assured; you are not alone in this worry. Dr. Jonah Fox, Medical Director at WPS Health Solutions, shares his advice on what the impacts to mental health can be in these dark months and how can we manage through it. He offers these helpful strategies to help us make it through:

• Ensure access to plenty of natural light by spending time outside, even if it is cloudy. Enhanced indoor light with regular lamps and fixtures can help, as well.

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule, even when cold weather tempts you to sleep in.

• Exercise regularly with daily walks or other aerobic activity.