Another winter season has arrived, during which dark falls earlier, and dull gray clouds block out the sun during the daytime hours in many parts of the United States. Seasonal depression, first identified as a treatable disorder in the 1980s, can dramatically impact one’s emotional well-being and wellness during the darker, shorter days of winter.
Along with considerations such as diet and exercise, focusing on creating a fresh, vibrant living environment can be a great way to combat the winter doldrums. Transforming one’s space into a place of light and tranquility can be the best defense against the winter blues.
Environment’s Role in Seasonal Depression
The farther away from the equator one lives, the more likely one is to experience seasonal depression. Long winters, short days and lack of light can lead to persistent sadness or anxiety, irritability, frustration, decreased energy and changes in sleep patterns.
Depending on where one lives and how long the winters persist, these symptoms can drag on for four or five months. People may even hibernate during the winter months, wanting to stay away from social situations and gravitating toward eating more carbohydrates, leading to them putting on extra weight over the winter months.
People from northern states such as Wisconsin, North Dakota and Minnesota can probably regale you with tales of their own seasonal depression. Many have adapted to their surroundings and the long winter season by making changes in their homes to bring extra light and vibrancy to their living space.
Mood-Boosting Your Clients’ Living Space
Several design strategies and decor approaches can help combat seasonal depression. The first step in any home is to maximize natural light. If your client’s house looks like a dark cave, they’ll be more likely to want to stay at home and hibernate. Instead, keep curtains open, move furniture around so it faces the windows, and do anything else to help take advantage of the hours of daylight you are given in the winter.
If daylight alone cannot bring light into your home, you’ll have to fake it. Light therapy lamps – which mimic sunlight – have grown in popularity over the years, and many people place them on their work desks or other rooms to get 30 to 45 minutes of light therapy a day. Dawn simulators work similarly, gradually increasing the light in one’s bedroom to mimic the rising sun. Many people also turn to full-spectrum light bulbs in the winter to replace the regular ones in their lamps and lights, which can create a brighter home overall.
Winter can be a time to consider incorporating a warmer color palette. Vibrant throws, cushions and pillows in colors such as yellow, pink, red or orange can help create an uplifting atmosphere in the home. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, a new paint color in a room that may be a cooler color, such as gray, can breathe new life into your clients’ homes, making winter the best time to try out that new lemon-yellow living room.
Adding plant life can be a great way to transform a space into one that is fresh and lively. Not only do indoor plants bring a bit of spring into the home in mid-winter, but they also improve the air quality.
Lastly, creating comfortable, cozy zones in a home can be a great way to invite relaxation and less anxiety into your clients’ lives. Instead of thinking of creating spaces conducive to never getting out of bed, create spaces that entice one to get up and enjoy time with family and friends, curling up with a good book or another activity that brings them joy.
The goal is to surround your clients with light, uplifting colors and things that make them happy, so the months of overcast skies and early darkness don’t take such a toll.
Shedding Fresh Light on Seasonal Depression
Combatting the effects of seasonal depression is more than just a question of medical approach. There can be holistic solutions that are just as effective and begin right in one’s living space.
By being intentional about how you design your clients’ lighting and decor, you can provide a journey of self-care and comfort that will carry your clients through the darkest days of winter. Combined with other self-care approaches, such as regular exercise and balanced nutrition, being aware of one’s environmental design can be a game-changer.
Your clients’ homes are more than just four walls and a roof; they are their sanctuaries every season. By approaching seasonal depression with a focus on light, vibrant color and comfort, you can create a space that protects your clients’ heads and hearts and nurtures their emotional well-being as the snow flies outside.
—By Dara Greaney, founder and CEO of LEDLightExpert.com, a premier e-commerce retailer specializing in innovative lighting solutions
