Seasonal Adjustment Syndrome can cause us to have low mood and even suffer depression - Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The nights have been getting darker and the clocks will go back at the end of October, meaning we see less daylight. This can lead to people suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder

The theory is that fewer daylight hours can cause us to have low mood and even suffer depression as a result – this is commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short (a pretty unhelpful name in itself).

There is a commonly held belief that SAD is caused by changes in our brain due to reduced daylight. This sounds plausible doesn’t it – after all serotonin levels are thought to be depleted in SAD sufferers during the winter and melatonin production is linked to exposure to sunlight.

There are numerous (unscientific) SAD-related articles available online as well as lots of pseudoscientific videos supposedly explaining how SAD works – many rely on the old and discredited brain chemistry model, and most are trying to sell you a light box device to ‘cure’ SAD, or some sort of supplement. There is also lots of research which suggests that SAD doesn’t actually exist. The Tromsø Study, in Norway, supports this, as data shows that there is not a higher rate of SAD in Norway, despite the severely shortened daylight during Norway’s winter.

I’m not saying that people’s feelings aren’t real – they absolutely are. But low mood and depression are not caused by reduced sunlight – otherwise we would all start to feel depressed in October and we don’t.

Mandy suffered from SAD for a number of years: 'My mood would start to dip around September and I’d dread the rapidly approaching longer nights. I think the biggest struggle for me was getting up in the dark mornings. I would often feel like crying when my alarm went off as I’d feel so tired - it would take an enormous amount of effort just to get out of bed and if it wasn’t for the fact that I had to see to my boys there would have been days when I would have just stayed in bed. I also used to feel quite muddled and really struggled to concentrate.'

Mandy believed that the lack of sunlight was causing her to be depressed and have less energy – so she went out less, saw her friends rarely, didn’t enjoy all that life has to offer, and as she admitted, practically hibernated. She, unknowingly, allowed her mindset, attitude and self-esteem (or lack of) to cause and maintain her depression – it wasn’t due to lack of sunlight.

Mandy started The Thrive Programme® in January - the perfect time for showing how the weather and dark nights were not the reason for her symptoms.

'I noticed a change within two weeks, certainly by week three I was full of energy and excited about life in a way that I hadn’t been for years. When you have struggled with something for years and you suddenly realise that you don’t have to suffer any more, that you have the power to change it, it is such an amazing feeling.

'My outlook on life has completely changed. The weather/dark nights no longer affect my mood. I still feel sleepy when my alarm goes off and it is pitch dark but as soon as I come to, I think about two things: 1. If I was that deeply asleep then it means I’ve had a really good rest. 2. I think about all the things I’m going to do in the day ahead and I’m keen to get started.

'I realised that I had been changing my lifestyle in the darker months and I now believe that this was the main contributor to my mood changing. My behaviour and habits changed, the way I viewed the winter months and believed that I couldn’t do certain things was what was in fact causing the problem. Nowadays I do the same things all year round; I just have to change my clothes accordingly. I go out running with my running group all year but at this time of year we need to wear head torches and hi viz/reflective gear and a few more layers.'

When Mandy took the power back – from allowing the seasons to control her emotions, to realising it was how she thought about the darker days that determined her mood – she quite rightly didn’t allow the weather to affect her mood any more. If you can feel this powerful and in control of one area of your life, imagine applying the same skills to all aspects of life.

Philippa Saunders is a Thrive Coach based in Knutsford. Find her on Instagram @thrive.with.philippa and on Facebook at thrivewithphilippa