On Our Mental Health, this “Look Up at the Sky Day” (April 14)

This blog is authored by Elle Terrado, MS, LPC, a member of the IntraSpectrum Counseling clinical team.

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Look Up at the Sky Day: the name of this annual commemoration speaks for itself. April 14th is a day when we can intentionally admire the vast beauty of the sky, taking a moment to look upward in a society that so often looks downward at our technology.

There is something so undoubtedly therapeutic about connecting with nature. It may even be the reason that a therapist uses nature metaphors for our emotions and existence—like envisioning our thoughts as a cloud floating across the blue sky. Nature can also influence how we feel, like how you might respond to a sunny day after weeks of rain. As the weather transitions into spring, there are a few things you can consider, therapeutically:

Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short, is a type of depression in the DSM-5-TR (a manual to diagnose and classify mental disorders). SAD is a major depressive disorder (MDD) with a seasonal pattern, commonly manifesting during the winter when there is less sunlight and opportunity to be outside.

Studies found that the prevalence of SAD increases further away from the equator, where the climate is typically hotter or has longer daylight hours. Although SAD can occur during the summer, this suggests a link between the complex reactions to SAD and the amount of light experienced in a day.

It is important to note that this is more than just “feeling down” in the wintertime. Symptoms of SAD reflect similarly to MDD, such as:

• Hypersomnia, a sleep disturbance
• Changes in appetite
• Low mood or little motivation to do previously enjoyable activities

It can deeply affect a person’s ability to function in the months of January and February, so let’s take a look at what you can do and how we can help one another…

Benefits of Sun Exposure
Sun exposure and light therapy is likely not far from what you think it is. Increased exposure to sunlight, spending time outside, heck – even looking at light therapy box for 20 minutes a day can all help improve symptoms of SAD (quick note: a light therapy box is a device that emits bright light to mimic natural sunlight). So it’s true — go outside, touch some grass, look up at the sky!

Practical Coping Skills
In pursuit of approaching mental health as a whole, it is also important to continue scheduling meaningful activities and following through with your plans. This can include other friends or be a solo activity. The goal is making sure your routine includes a variety of activities (socializing, rediscovering a new hobby, movement and exercise, etc.) to help cope with symptoms of depression.

Psychotherapy
Especially when coupled with light therapy, psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for SAD. As a therapist, I use Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) to help people manage difficulties dealing with SAD. Very simply put, CBT emphasizes that people suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping with them and thereby relieve their symptoms and become more effective in their lives. I typically use CBT with clients to identify and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns that are more frequent in a depressive state. This may be paired aspects of mindfulness that help introduce more presence and centering into our mind and body functioning (using my propensity for nature metaphors!).

The takeaway is, there is help available. Getting some sunlight, scheduling (& keeping!) some activities, and going to therapy are a few of many ways to help get through Seasonal Affective Disorder, or just the winter blues if you’re feeling them. Like our emotions, the seasons come and go and there are seasons that we like more than others. So, while it may rain in the month of April, the month of May will offer us beautiful floral spreads.

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IntraSpectrum Counseling is Chicago’s leading psychotherapy practice dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, and we strive to provide the highest quality mental health care for multicultural, identity, kink, polyamorous, and intersectional issues. For anyone needing affirming and validating support with any issue, please click here or contact us at help@intraspectrum-chicago.com.