Image Credit: Pexels/Nathan Cowley

Long, dark nights. Scarce sunshine. Christmas bills rolling in. Failed New Year’s resolutions.

These are all key elements going into what are commonly called the “winter blues.”

“It can really be those darker days and the grey clouds that we see in our moods,” Emma Jones, communications specialist with the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kelowna, told iNFOnews.ca. “It is also shortly after the holiday so maybe those credit card bills have come in and there’s that financial strain. Sometimes the holidays bring joy but it can be that after-effect after the holidays are over.”

An estimated 15% of Canadians suffer from the “Winter Blues,” she posted on the association’s website.

That article focuses on the benefits of even moderate exercise to lift the spirits.

“When you exercise, your body releases endorphins and feel-good chemicals that reduce feelings of pain and increase feelings of pleasure, literally boosting your mood,” Jones wrote. “Just 15 minutes of moderate exercise like dancing, yoga, chores around the house or just doing some jumping jacks or push-ups can provide a mood-enhancing effect.”

On the more serious side, about 2-3% of Canadians suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), she wrote.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has been studying SAD for more than 30 years.

“Winter blues is a general term, not a medical diagnosis,” Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, a mental health expert with the institute, says on its website. “It’s fairly common and it’s more mild than serious. It usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time.”

Those blues are often linked to specifics like stressful holidays or remembering the loss of loved ones.

“Seasonal affective disorder, though, is different,” Rudorfer posted. “It’s a well-defined clinical diagnosis that’s related to the shortening of daylight hours. It interferes with daily functioning over a significant period of time.”

Kamloops and Okanagan cities average about 2,000 hours of bright sunshine every year. But that varies greatly by month and location.

Kelowna, for instance, has an average low of 35.1 hours of sunlight in December, measured by Environment Canada from 1981-2010. Sunshine records are no longer kept.

Kamloops averaged 46.6 hours of bright sunlight in December.

That number grew in both cities to a high of around 300 hours in July.

While both regions may experience the same inversions, those are more likely to trap low lying cloud in the Okanagan Valley because of increased moisture and less wind.

READ MORE: The under-appreciated weather phenomenon that makes for mild winters in Kamloops, Okanagan

So, one way to ease the winter blues, obviously, is to spend more time in Kamloops.

“Winter blues is a little bit real,” Jones said. “Blue Monday is a myth. It’s a marketing strategy to get people to go on vacation.”

That’s certainly true.

Blue Monday was invented by Sky Travel Shop, a TV channel in the United Kingdom devoted exclusively to programs about travelling, according to the Days of the Year website, and others.

Sky Travel claims it’s the most depressing day of the year, based on calculations done through an “equation.”

It’s been dubbed pseudoscience by critics but has grown in popularity since then.

“The date varies from year to year, depending on a variety of factors, such as weather, debt, the time that has passed since Christmas Day, the time that has passed since we failed at fulfilling our Near Year’s resolutions, low motivational levels connected with previous failures and the need to take action,” the Days of the Year website says.

Blue Monday is usually the third Monday in January and is designated, this year, to arrive next week, Jan. 16.

Whether it’s the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder, people do need to deal with it and not just tough it out and wait for spring sunshine to cure them.

“Sometimes getting daylight, exercising regularly and a balanced diet will help improve your mood,” Jones said. “At the same time, maybe that’s not enough and we need additional support. That could be speaking to your family doctor. That could be seeking support from the Canadian Mental Health Association.”

The association offers a number of programs ranging from just being someone to talk with to directing callers to services or setting up virtual counselling.

The National Institutes of Health says light therapy – sitting under a special light for half an hour a day - relieves SAD symptoms for up 70% of patients.

“Light therapy is usually considered a first line treatment for SAD, but it doesn’t work for everyone,” its website says. “Studies show that certain antidepressant drugs can be effective in many cases of SAD.”

There’s also growing evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of talk therapy, can help.

Certainly people suffering from SAD should seek help through their family doctors or the mental health association.

For the larger number who just have the Winter Blues, getting out of the house may be the cure.

But, where are they to go during an icy, snowy, B.C. winter when not everyone can afford to escape to the ski hills, ride a snowmobile or Mexico?

One outdoor option is the Vernon Winter Carnival with hundreds of events running for nine days from Feb. 3-12.

READ MORE: Vernon Winter Carnival 2023 bringing hundreds of events to the city

It’s one of the few outdoor winter festivals left in B.C.

There is a Rossland Winter Carnival from Jan. 26-29 that features Ice sculptures, snow slides, tobogganing, skating, fire spinners. Get more information here.

Just after the Vernon Winter Carnival is the Salmon Arm Winter Fun Fest from Feb. 18-19.

It features wagon/sleigh rides, fat bike, snowshoe and cross-country ski races, fire and ice sculptures, broomball, snow croquet, snowflake kickball, iron fry pan or frozen boot toss and “a spectacular Fire Sculpture burn” both nights.

On the indoor side, every community has multitudes of events on stages, screen, in galleries, restaurants and pub.

The Okanagan’s Habitat for Humanity, while not hosting events, has a list of suggestions for battling the Winter Blues, including:

• Write in a journal
• Keep healthy
• Keep in touch with family and friends
• Get some fresh air
• Keep warm
• Find a hobby
• Laugh

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