November 30th 2022
By: Chantal Dufort

Finding the Sun in November

What is the beginning of November all about? It gets dark earlier, the sky is rather dreary… bottom line, it’s depressing. Many people feel exhausted and rightly so. Since we go from 100,000 Lux (unit of measurement for light therapy) in summer to about 2,000 in winter, outdoor light has a great role to play on some of our hormones and neurotransmitters, including our melatonin, a hormone responsible for our sleep schedule. Therefore, November marks the beginning of this difficult adjustment of our body (our head and our heart) to the dark and cold of the winter months.

Fall blues really do occur in Nordic countries 

Did you know that 10 to 15% of northern populations are affected by the fall blues and that 2 to 3% suffer from seasonal depression?  

What is being done in Québec and Canada? Pass go and do not collect the month of November? No way, so what do we do to make this month lighter and less distressing? What if it were a month of comfort to face the mad rush of December, rather than an end to the good weather? 

A few pointers to get a grip on this seasonal depression

Hygge is a term used by Danish people that conjures up the idea of building a lifestyle around serene and cozy moments, especially in the face of cold and dark winters. In other word, Hygge is an art of living and as such the pursuit of daily happiness in the smallest thing.

Being aware of the small pleasures in everyday life, taking the time to take the time, putting lights everywhere, candles, fireplaces, spending quality time with our loved ones.  

Several studies have shown that Danes are the happiest nation. Maybe we can learn from them! 

First and foremost, it is important to regularly assess our state of well-being versus distress and consult a doctor or psychologist if we find our state is deteriorating or becoming increasingly difficult.

In November, there are two options before us: either we focus on what we find challenging (darkness, cold, drab nature); or we focus on everything we have that makes us feel good and we set up winter routines. Just give it a try and write down 3 moments of gratitude from your day every night.  

Get out and about 

Remote work makes it easy to stay in all day, if not the entire week. Schedule a time to get out and ideally go for a walk. Why not make it a team challenge? 

One of the most studied ways to counteract the effect of reduced outdoor light is light therapy. It’s time to take your lamp out if you haven’t already done so since September. 

If you don’t have one, you should consider finding a lamp of 10,000 Lux or more and exposing yourself to it for about 30 minutes a day. 

Embrace the situation and learn to cope with it 

You need to accept, in good spirit, that these weeks will be more challenging and so list the things that will make you feel good and schedule those activities into your agenda.  

(Personally, I’m getting out the candles, the warming blanket, the big soft stockings, the fondue dish and the knitting wool). 

Whether we like it or not, this infamous November will return year after year, so we might as well start traditions that make us feel good.  

 
Chantal Dufort

Corporate Mental Health Collaborator