DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Once daylight saving time ends, I find it difficult as it gets darker earlier. I also notice that I get a bit more depressed in the winter. My friend suggested a light box for seasonal affective disorder. What is a light box? And can it be helpful in improving my mood?
ANSWER: Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that typically occurs each year during fall and winter. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.
It is important not to brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you must tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.
