Clinically reviewed by Nadia Soltani, RSW, Auren Wellness
By early December in Ottawa, the sun is setting before 4:30 in the afternoon. If you work a standard day, you can go weeks without seeing real daylight outside a lunch break. Add a stretch of minus twenty and it makes sense that so many people in this city feel themselves dim a little every winter.
For some, it's a passing heaviness. For others, it's something more serious: a real depression that arrives on schedule each fall and lifts in spring. That pattern has a name, seasonal affective disorder, and it's worth knowing the difference, because the more serious version responds well to treatment.
Quick answer: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is depression that follows a seasonal pattern, usually starting in fall and easing in spring. It's more than disliking winter: low mood most days, oversleeping, low energy, and withdrawal that affect your daily life. Light, routine, and therapy all help, and you don't have to wait until April to feel better.
Most people feel some version of the winter blues. You're a bit slower, a bit less social, more inclined toward the couch. It's unpleasant, but life carries on roughly as normal.
Seasonal depression is heavier and more persistent. It's a form of major depression that keeps a seasonal schedule, and in Canada it's estimated that about 2 to 3 percent of people will experience it in their lifetime, with a much larger group feeling a milder seasonal dip. It tends to look like:
The useful test is the same one we apply to any depression: duration and impact. A gloomy week after the clocks change is one thing. Six weeks of dragging yourself through the motions, cancelling plans, and counting the hours until you can go back to bed is another.
The leading explanation for seasonal depression is light, or the lack of it. Shorter days appear to disrupt your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that governs sleep, energy, and mood, and to shift the balance of serotonin and melatonin in ways that push mood down and sleepiness up.
Ottawa gives that mechanism a lot to work with. Around the winter solstice we get under nine hours of daylight, and much of it arrives while you're indoors. Then there's the cold. When it's minus twenty-five with wind chill, the walks, patios, and casual plans that normally keep people connected quietly disappear. Less light, less movement, less contact with people: each one is a known risk factor for low mood, and an Ottawa January delivers all three at once.
None of this means you're weak for struggling in winter. It means you're having an understandable response to a real environmental change, one that some brains are simply more sensitive to than others.
The good news about seasonal depression is that it's one of the more treatable forms of depression, partly because we know so much about what drives it.
Get light early in the day. Morning light is the strongest signal your body clock receives. Even on overcast days, outdoor light is far brighter than indoor lighting, so a 20-minute walk before or during the workday does more than it feels like it's doing. If you can arrange your desk near a window, do it.
Consider a light therapy lamp. Light therapy is one of the best-studied treatments for SAD, and it is a therapeutic, non-pharmacological option. The standard approach is a 10,000 lux lamp used for about 20 to 30 minutes shortly after waking, positioned off to the side rather than stared at. Many people notice a difference within a couple of weeks. Light therapy is also considered in some situations for people living with other conditions, including some people living with dementia, as part of a wider care plan.
If you have an eye condition, talk to your doctor before starting. If you have bipolar disorder, talk to your doctor before using a light therapy lamp. For some people, light therapy may increase the risk of triggering a manic episode, and your doctor can help you decide whether it is safe and appropriate for you.
Protect your routine. Depression of any kind feeds on drift. Keeping consistent wake times, planned social contact, and some regular movement gives winter less room to flatten your weeks. It doesn't need to be ambitious. A standing Saturday coffee or a skate on the canal when it opens counts.
Look after your sleep. Because seasonal depression is linked to changes in the body's internal clock, healthy sleep habits can help. It may be worth trying to:
Ask your doctor about vitamin D. Many Canadians have low vitamin D levels during the winter because they spend less time in the sun. If your vitamin D level is low, your doctor may recommend a supplement to support your overall health. However, vitamin D on its own has not been proven to treat seasonal depression. It's still a reasonable thing to review with your family doctor alongside anything else they'd want to rule out, such as thyroid issues or anemia.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for seasonal depression. It helps people recognize negative thought patterns that often develop during the winter, such as believing that nothing will improve until spring. CBT also encourages people to stay active, schedule enjoyable activities, spend time with others, and avoid withdrawing from daily life. It teaches practical coping skills and strategies that may help reduce the likelihood of symptoms returning in future winters.
CBT adapted for seasonal depression usually includes:
In studies, CBT adapted for SAD performs comparably to light therapy, and its benefits tend to hold up better in following winters because you keep the skills. Many people combine the two.
If you notice that your symptoms return every winter, it may help to start healthy habits before they begin. Using light therapy early in the fall, staying physically active, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and staying connected with friends and family may reduce the severity of symptoms. Taking action early can make a meaningful difference.
If your low mood has lasted more than a couple of weeks, is affecting your work or relationships, or arrives every winter like clockwork, it's worth talking to someone.
Therapy for seasonal depression doesn't just aim to get you through this winter. It builds a plan you can reuse every year, so November stops feeling like a threat. Our depression therapy in Ottawa page explains how we approach that work, and our seasonal depression therapy page covers the winter-specific version in more detail.
If you would like to talk to someone on our team, you can reach Auren Wellness at 1 Centrepointe Drive, Suite 404, Ottawa, by phone at (613) 518-6072, or through our contact page. We offer a free 15-minute consultation.
What's the difference between winter blues and seasonal affective disorder?
The winter blues are a mild, passing dip: you feel slower and less social, but life carries on. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of major depression with a seasonal pattern. Low mood, oversleeping, and loss of interest persist for weeks and interfere with daily life.
When does seasonal depression usually start and end?
Most people notice symptoms building in October or November, peaking in January and February, and easing in March or April as daylight returns. A smaller number of people experience the reverse pattern, with depression arriving in summer.
Can children and teenagers get seasonal depression?
Yes. Although seasonal depression is more common in adults, children and adolescents can also develop SAD. Symptoms may include irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep, and declining school performance. Many parents notice changes in their child's mood or anxiety during the winter months.
Do light therapy lamps really work?
For many people, yes. Light therapy is one of the best-studied treatments for SAD, typically a 10,000 lux lamp for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning. Check with your doctor first if you have an eye condition or bipolar disorder.
Can therapy help with seasonal depression?
Yes. CBT adapted for seasonal depression performs comparably to light therapy in studies, and its benefits tend to last into future winters because you keep the skills. Many people combine the two.
Should I just wait for spring?
You could, but you don't have to, and if symptoms are significant, waiting means months of unnecessary struggle that treatment could shorten. If this happens every year, getting support now also makes next winter easier.
This article draws on guidance from the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A note from our team: this article is educational and isn't a substitute for individual therapy or a professional assessment. If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide or believe you may be in immediate danger, seek emergency help immediately — call or text 9-8-8 (Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. This site is not a crisis service.
How this article was created: drafted with AI assistance and clinically reviewed for accuracy by Nadia Soltani, RSW, of the Auren Wellness team before publishing.
This article is educational and is not a substitute for individual therapy, medical care, or professional advice. Reading something that resonates is a useful start — a conversation with a Registered Psychotherapist is often the next step.
If you are in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 (Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline), or go to your nearest emergency room. This site is not a crisis service.
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