Each year I lament when daylight savings time ends and it begins to get dark earlier in the afternoon. When the days grow shorter and the light begins to fade, many people notice subtle shifts in mood, energy, and motivation. What starts as a simple winter slump can sometimes grow heavier—mornings feel harder, joy feels distant, and everyday tasks demand twice the effort they once did. If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as S.A.D.
From a clinical standpoint, S.A.D. is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern—most often emerging in the fall and winter months when daylight hours decrease. From a spiritual and emotional standpoint, it can feel like a deep fog settling over the soul. As a biblical counselor, I want to assure you that what you’re feeling is real, understandable, and treatable. You are not weak, and you are not alone.
Understanding the Nature of S.A.D.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than “the winter blues.” It is a recognized subtype of major depressive disorder, connected to changes in light exposure and circadian rhythms. As sunlight diminishes, the body’s internal clock can become disrupted, affecting serotonin and melatonin—two chemicals that influence mood, energy, and sleep patterns.
Common symptoms include:
Persistent low mood or sadness
Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
Fatigue or low energy
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in appetite (often craving carbohydrates)
Oversleeping or difficulty waking
Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
Withdrawal from friends or family
For many people, these symptoms begin in late fall and resolve naturally by spring. However, that doesn’t mean you must wait for the season to pass before finding relief. There are effective, evidence-based treatments—and as a Christian, I believe there are also meaningful spiritual and relational supports that can help you walk through the darker months with renewed hope.
Light, Rhythm, and Creation: A Biblical View of Seasons
God designed the world with rhythms—day and night, work and rest, planting and harvest, seasons of abundance and seasons of waiting. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
When our bodies and emotions respond to the changing seasons, we are not broken; we are responding to the very rhythms of creation. However, since the Fall, those rhythms can sometimes fall out of sync, leaving us feeling physically drained and spiritually discouraged. The darkness outside can seem to mirror an internal darkness.
As a therapist who integrates Christian faith with clinical understanding, I often remind clients that God is not surprised by these struggles. His care for us extends to the biological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives. Seeking help for S.A.D. is not a sign of spiritual weakness—it’s a step toward stewarding the body and mind God has entrusted to you.
Clinical Approaches to Treatment
Treatment for S.A.D. often includes several complementary approaches. The best plan depends on each person’s symptoms, lifestyle, and level of severity. Here are some effective, research-supported interventions:
1. Light Therapy
One of the most effective treatments involves daily exposure to a special light box that mimics natural sunlight. Sitting near the light for about 20–30 minutes each morning can help reset your body’s internal clock and improve mood. It’s a simple, accessible tool that many clients find remarkably helpful within just a few weeks.
2. Explore Unhelpful Thought Patterns
Using a biblical counseling approach, I will help you identify and change patterns of negative thinking that fuel depression. For S.A.D., this might mean working on thoughts such as “winter always ruins me” or “I’ll never feel normal again.” By challenging these thoughts and replacing them with more balanced truths, you can reduce hopelessness and regain agency in your emotional life.
3. Medication
For some individuals, antidepressant medication (often SSRIs) can help regulate serotonin levels and provide symptom relief. Medication is not a moral or spiritual failure—it’s one of many ways God allows us to benefit from the gifts of science and medicine. I do not prescribe medication but I do have doctors to whom I refer my clients.
4. Lifestyle Adjustments
Even small habits can make a big difference:
Spend time outdoors during daylight hours.
Maintain regular sleep and wake times.
Engage in physical activity (even light exercise improves mood).
Eat nutrient-rich foods rather than processed comfort foods.
Stay connected with supportive people and faith communities.
Integrating Faith into Healing
From a Christian perspective, addressing S.A.D. also involves nurturing your spiritual and emotional life. Darkness in the natural world can often feel symbolic of spiritual darkness, but Scripture repeatedly reminds us that light is never absent from God’s presence.
Psalm 139:12: “Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Practices such as prayer, worship, Scripture reading, and being in Christian community can help you stay anchored when your emotions feel unpredictable. In therapy, we might explore how your faith can become a source of resilience rather than guilt. For instance, rather than viewing depression as a failure to “have enough faith,” you can learn to see it as an opportunity to lean on God’s sustaining grace in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Role of Connection and Compassion
Isolation often deepens the pain of S.A.D. When we withdraw from others, we lose access to encouragement and perspective. Yet God created us for connection. Galatians 6:2 calls us to “bear one another’s burdens,” reminding us that healing often happens in relationship.
Therapy can be a safe place to reconnect—with your emotions, with your sense of purpose, and with the God who loves you. My role as a Christian counselor is not to fix you, but to walk alongside you, helping you find practical tools for relief and spiritual truths that bring lasting peace.
When we bring our pain into the light—both figuratively and literally—it begins to lose its power. Healing may not happen overnight, but it unfolds step by step, with grace.
Hope for the Darker Months
If you are struggling with low mood, fatigue, or a sense of heaviness as the seasons change, please know that you are not alone. Many believers wrestle with the effects of S.A.D., and it does not necessarily mean you lack faith. It means you are human—affected by both the rhythms of creation and the realities of a fallen world.
But there is hope. There are proven ways to feel better, and there is a God who remains constant even when your emotions shift like the seasons. Isaiah 60:2 offers a promise for those walking through darkness: “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
Depression therapy canhelp you rediscover light—emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Through clinical care and compassionate care, it’s possible to reclaim joy and energy even in the midst of winter’s shadows.
An Invitation
If you recognize yourself in these words, I would love to walk with you through this season. Together, we can explore what’s happening in your body, emotions and spirit, find practical ways to restore balance, and hold onto the hope that the light always returns because Jesus is the light of the world.
You don’t have to face this alone. Click on the link below to schedule a session or consultation—and let’s begin the process of bringing warmth, purpose, and light back into your days.