🌦️ Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and My Journey in Bellingham, WA

🌦️ Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

By Jaime J. Hernandez | Health and Exercise Prescriptions👉 www.healthandexerciseprescriptions.com

🌲 Living in Bellingham & The Winter Blues

Living in Bellingham, WA (98225), I’ve come to realize the beautiful Pacific Northwest seasons can also bring challenges. Long stretches of rain, grey skies, and short winter days have a deep effect on mental health.

Through my personal experience, I’ve developed a new respect for depression and how it impacts motivation, relationships, and everyday life.

For me, it took nearly two years of trial and error to understand why my energy and mood dropped so drastically during the winter months. Exercise was my first tool—running, lifting, and movement helped me push through—but I learned that exercise alone wasn’t enough. I needed a complete plan to stay balanced through northern seasonal changes.

🧠 What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD is more than “winter blues.” It exists on a spectrum, from mild low-energy days to episodes of major depression. Symptoms can include:

• Persistent fatigue

• Lack of motivation

• Reduced joy in activities

• Irritability or sadness

• Sleep disturbances

Even when life looks good on paper, SAD can make it hard to feel good inside.

🔑 Five Interventions That Helped Me

I’d like to share the five conservative interventions I’ve found most effective. Everyone’s needs are different, but experimenting with these tools can help you discover what supports your well-being best.

1. 🏃 Exercise – My #1 Therapy

Exercise is still my foundation. It improves mood, reduces stress hormones, and provides a boost of energy. I focus on cardio in the middle of the day to alleviate stress and recharge my energy.

When designing an exercise plan, consider these five elements for balanced health:

• Cardio: walking, running, cycling

• Resistance training: weights, bands, machines

• Stretching: yoga, mobility, posture work

• Nutrition guidance: from credible resources like The Schwarzbein Principle

• Stress reduction: massage, meditation, or creative outlets

📌 Need help building a plan? Work with me to design a program tailored to your goals and any pre-existing conditions.

2. 🌅 Dawn Simulator

In Bellingham winters, waking up in the dark feels unnatural. A dawn simulator helps by gradually brightening the room like a sunrise, easing the body into wakefulness. This simple tool makes mornings less jarring and helps regulate circadian rhythms.

3. 💡 Light Therapy

Light therapy lamps and Vitamin D3 tanning beds mimic sunlight exposure, providing critical stimulus for mood and energy regulation.

I keep a full-spectrum lamp on my desk/ or by my bed to wake me up and to brighten early mornings this is the lamp I use. https://www.bio-light.com/ultra.html . On darker weeks, I also recommend Vitamin D3 tanning locally at Bella Body & Sol. It’s been a game-changer.

4. 📝 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is about changing thought patterns to improve mood. I’ve found journaling helps me notice unhelpful thoughts and reframe them. Daily positive affirmations—posted around my home—remind me to anchor in constructive beliefs.

Rewiring the subconscious takes repetition, but over time, these new mental habits create resilience.

5. 🌙 Melatonin Therapy

Melatonin, a hormone tied to sleep cycles, often drops with lack of light. With my doctor’s guidance, I take a low dose two hours before bed during winter. Combined with a dawn simulator, this helps me fall asleep more easily and wake more refreshed.

⚠️ Always consult your primary care provider before starting supplements.

“Top 5 SAD Interventions” 

1. Exercise

2. Dawn Simulator

3. Light Therapy https://www.bio-light.com/ultra.html

4. CBT

5. Melatonin

💬 Closing Thoughts

Seasonal Affective Disorder is real, and it’s powerful—but it’s also manageable. Through exercise, light regulation, CBT, and mindful supplementation, I’ve built strategies to keep my mind clear and my body energized even during the darkest Bellingham winters.

If you’re struggling, know you’re not alone—and some tools work.

Thank you for your time and energy…Be well,

Jaime J. Hernandez

Health and Exercise Prescriptions👉 www.healthandexerciseprescriptions.com