Seasonal Depression
I know that winter is hard. I know it’s long in Chicago, and there isn’t much for us to do outside when it’s cold here. I also know that seasonal depression is a real thing.
But did you know that Scandinavian countries, where winter is longer and the weather is colder, report the greatest quotient of happiness? And their happiness in the winter is reportedly just as high as it is in summer.
We talk about the short days and long periods of gray overcast skies. It gets dark before 5p, and the sun doesn’t come up again until after 7a. For a lot of people, that feels depressing.
While I’m one that enjoys the snow (which we’ve barely had so far this year), I wish winter wasn’t so long. I dislike short days and gray skies. I’m with you on that.
But shouldn’t we have more control over our own happiness than to be dependent on the weather? Are we really that powerless?
Icelanders don’t buy it. They live in a land of nearly 24-hour darkness this time of year. They experience more overcast skies and see less sunshine, even in the summer, than just about anywhere on the planet. Yet, every year their reported happiness is in the top three countries of the world, and way ahead of America. Icelanders are happier than Hawaiians.
Years ago we had friends who could no longer take the winter. She suffered from seasonal depression, and he got tired of shoveling. They headed to Florida. I remember that first year in January when my friend told me how his wife said, “I’m so happy.” I wish it would have lasted. But as any kind of situational happiness, it didn’t. It wasn’t long before her seasonal depression set in while living in Florida. It wasn’t really the cold and/or darkness.
When we look to the weather, our circumstances, our jobs, money, health…whatever it may be, to make us happy, we’ll eventually sink back to the despair that naturally comes from seeking joy from sources that cannot fulfill.
Frank Minirth became a household name years ago with his landmark book, “Happiness Is A Choice,” and that statement alone ought to challenge our thinking.
Most Scandinavians point to “contentment” as the key for them. But I think high on the list of cultural habits that Scandinavians exhibit is the habit of expressing gratitude, openly and frequently. There is something about being purposely thankful and letting others know about it, that chases away not just the winter blues, but any kind of circumstantial discouragement.
For us who are Christians, this should be even more evident. If we practice Paul’s instructions to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to combine godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6), and refuse to excuse our unhappiness by pointing at the gray skies and short days, we can overcome that nagging seasonal depression, and do as David did, encourage ourselves in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6).