How To Help Someone With Seasonal Depression

Start With Compassion & Understanding

The most important thing you can offer when helping someone with seasonal affective disorder is compassion and understanding. Seasonal depression isn’t just feeling a little down. It’s a real, recurring form of depression tied to seasonal changes. Even with support and good treatment, recovery doesn’t happen overnight.

When offering your support for someone with SAD, be patient. Try to avoid pressuring your loved one to “snap out of it,” as seasonal depression is a mental health condition that cannot be turned on or off at will. Keep in mind that this condition can be overwhelming for your loved one and can result in changes to their personality, such as:

• Low energy
• Loss of interest in activities they once loved
• Changes in sleep
• Changes in appetite
• Difficulty concentrating

Approaching with compassion and understanding is an excellent start to helping your loved one navigate seasonal depression.

Offer Practical, Gentle Support

You can be a huge source of comfort for someone with seasonal depression, no professional training needed. Support doesn’t have to mean finding the perfect words. It often appears in small, thoughtful ways. Offer to grab coffee, take a short walk together, or help with simple tasks that might feel overwhelming, like grocery shopping or tidying up. These gestures can help relieve daily stress and make the person feel cared for without putting pressure on them.

Encourage Professional Help

No one needs to navigate seasonal depression alone. If you are caring for someone with SAD, it may be beneficial to encourage them to seek professional help. Here are some ways that professionals may be able to help someone deal with seasonal depression:

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) can guide you through changing the habits in your life that may be contributing to seasonal depression symptoms. It helps you learn new ways of thinking and behaving. 
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps challenge and change your unhelpful thought spirals and refocuses your mind on positive narratives. CBT also helps you identify and schedule pleasant activities to offset the loss of interest in the outdoors that can happen with seasonal depression. A research study found that CBT for SAD led to complete remission in over 68% of patients.
• Medications: Medications for seasonal affective disorder can be prescribed by a psychiatrist to help balance the brain chemicals that make depression worse.

Be Mindful of What To Say (and What To Avoid)

It’s hard to know exactly what to say to a loved one with seasonal depression. A good approach is to lead with empathy and support, and avoid language that’s dismissive or places blame:

What to Say → Use “I” Statements

• “I’m here for you, no matter what.”
• “I care about you.”
• “How can I help?”

What Not to Say → Avoid “You” Statements

• “You’re overreacting.”
• “It’s all in your head.”
• “You should get more sun and exercise.”

Help Them Build a Supportive Routine

If you’re helping someone with seasonal depression, it may be beneficial to help them build a supportive routine. The goal is not a major overhaul, but gently weaving in a few key habits can make a big difference.

• Prioritize outside time: Exposure to the sun as much as possible helps, especially during the winter months when days are shorter. Encourage your loved one to get outside and enjoy long walks, meals, or other exciting outdoor activities.
• Incorporate movement: Physical activity (especially outside) will help release endorphins that improve stress, anxiety, depression, and the symptoms of seasonal depression.
• Tame the sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day (yes, even on weekends) can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal depression. Try to reduce naps and oversleeping, as these can interfere with your sleep patterns.

Bring Light Into Their Environment

It sounds almost too simple, but increasing light exposure genuinely helps people with seasonal depression. A recent study found that bright light exposure is the most effective treatment for SAD. Experts often recommend light box therapy. Using a 10,000 lux box for 30 minutes daily (ideally within the first hour of waking up) can significantly improve mood and energy levels. Place the light box somewhere visible, but don’t look directly into it.

Special devices aren’t essential for light therapy for depression, though. Keeping the curtains open all day helps bring in natural light and increase light exposure throughout the day. Well-placed lamps also help brighten dark rooms, especially on gloomy winter days when natural light is limited. Finally, pairing these indoor changes with a daily walk outside can dramatically improve seasonal depression symptoms.

Support Healthy Lifestyle Habits

When helping a loved one with seasonal depression, it may be beneficial to encourage a few key healthy lifestyle habits.

Food can play a big role in mood, so instead of a restrictive diet for the darker months, try these meal additions that research shows improve symptoms of seasonal depression:

• Balance protein with carbs: High-protein foods like meat, eggs, fish, lentils, and beans contain tryptophan that can help make serotonin, but research suggests that these must be balanced with carbohydrates for there to be a positive effect on mood.
• High fiber: Oats, bran, broccoli, seaweed, and mushrooms can make your gut bacteria happy, and they can, in turn, help make you feel happier.
• Joyful treats: A piece of dark chocolate or a glass of red wine (in moderation) can be an immediate mood-booster that brings an extra spark of joy to your day.

Movement and dietary supplements are also important additions to a healthy lifestyle in the cold, dark months:

• Regular exercise: A daily walk or short trip to the gym can help trigger endorphins that increase energy and improve mood.
• Vitamin D: With less sunlight in the winter months, supplementing with vitamins for seasonal depression can help offset deficiencies. Taking vitamin D for depression can help by improving mood, concentration, and focus.

Know When To Get Emergency Help

While there are many ways you can help someone with seasonal depression, it’s also important to know when to seek emergency and professional help. If someone experiences symptoms that persist for more than a few weeks or start interfering with their daily life, it’s time to seek professional treatment. Someone may need emergency help if they are experiencing difficulty with basic tasks, such as eating, sleeping, or maintaining personal hygiene.

If these situations arise, encourage your loved one to consult with a mental health professional who can provide a formal diagnosis and help develop a treatment plan that’s tailored to their needs.

Take Care of Yourself, Too

As someone taking care of a loved one with seasonal depression, it’s important that you take care of yourself, too. Prioritize your mental health by maintaining your hobbies and social life. Be a good listener for your loved ones, but also take time to focus on yourself. If you need a break, take one!

Talkspace can help if you need to connect with a licensed therapist to check in, chat, or find your own support.

The Power of Consistent Support

When navigating how to support someone with seasonal affective disorder, small, steady gestures like listening, checking in, and spending time with them can make a meaningful difference. Try to be patient and persistent throughout the seasonal cycle, especially as you help and guide someone through these changes.

Support from friends and family is powerful, but integrating therapy can help deepen and stabilize healing. Talkspace offers flexible, affordable online therapy that can help you or someone you know manage symptoms of seasonal depression, stress, anxiety, or other challenges you come across while navigating the changing seasons. Whether you need someone to talk to, coping skills for depression, or a little encouragement, licensed therapists and psychiatrists are ready to support you with tailored online depression treatment.