How can you fight the winter blues? Advice from Marcel Rufo

The point of view of Marcel Rufo, child psychiatrist

Undoubtedly, you are subject to seasonal depression, Mylène. This phenomenon, which is accompanied by diffuse sadness, appears when the length of days decreases. Lack of sunlight affects you, both physiologically and psychologically.

Single, you are also going through a destabilizing moment during the family Christmas celebrations. As a result, your seasonal depression worsens in January. I invite you to turn to your general practitioner next fall who could advise you on light therapy sessions, as a first intention, preferable to drug treatment.

When you were still working, your job supported you at this time of year. Today, your taste for community involvement can help you get over the hump, provided you prioritize actions that still motivate you after the holidays. On this momentum, you will preserve those social connections that you need in the heart of winter.

You associate the weather with your psychological climate. In fact, with the lengthening of the days and the duration of sunshine, your mood will improve. But the challenge for you, Mylène, is to dissociate the two!