Veronica Couchman/The Mossy Log
In recent weeks, Lewis & Clark has been graced by the first sunshine of the spring — yet, as I have been assured by native Portlandians, it is not likely to last. Since our return to campus in January, it feels as though we have been drowned in an unrelenting barrage of gloomy weather and long afternoons spent indoors. As classes ramp up, the lack of sunlight and increasingly massive workload are enough to make anyone fall into a pit of seemingly inescapable pit of doom and despair.
Like many of you, I have spent January wondering if making the walk down to the academic campus to attend yet another dreary, droning lecture was worth braving the cold. Coming from Las Vegas, I have always thought that Seasonal Affective Disorder (laughably abbreviated as SAD) was something that only affects people who like to spend time outdoors. But after spending many mornings here at LC wondering if I would ever see the sun again, I can assure you that even the biggest home-bodies are susceptible.
If waking up every day to a gray, lifeless sky and a heap of last-minute assignments has got you feeling down, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, as many as 99 out of every 100 LC students experience some amount of seasonal depression. Symptoms may include a lack of energy and motivation, difficulty completing basic tasks and willingly eating Bon food because you have grown apathetic to your own senses.
Dealing with symptoms of SAD can be hard on anyone. Luckily for you, the Backdoor Association on Depression (BAD) is here to help you out with our top three tips and tricks to help combat your winter blues!
Tip #1: Be honest about your mental health
If you are having trouble keeping awake during those pesky 8 a.m. lectures, simply stop struggling. Lack of energy for something means that it probably was not that important to begin with. Lean into that. If you are feeling particularly tired, consider bringing a pillow and blanket to class with you and laying down across a few empty desks. Your classmates from Sociology and Anthropology in Practice will admire the courageous vulnerability of being your authentic self, and your professors will appreciate your dedication to attending their lectures and be understanding of your need to care for your mental health.
Tip #2: Find the fun in everyday activities
If your problem lies more with a lack of motivation to complete responsibilities, try setting up a rewards system for yourself. If you are finding it hard to find the motivation to finish an assignment, consider asking a few of your friends to set up a “Saw” trap wherein you are bit by a venomous snake and cannot be rewarded with the anti-venom until you finish that assignment. The adrenaline rush from a near-death experience will be exactly the motivation you need to get those essays in on time. If you cannot locate a venomous snake, try Pavlov-ing yourself with a Geek Bar hit each time you submit something — it is about the same amount of toxicity.
Tip #3: Optimize your space
If you find yourself spending an excessive amount of time asleep in your dorm to avoid the cold, consider bringing the cold to you. Before heading to bed, perhaps open the windows, turn on a fan, and soak your blankets and sheets in ice water. That way, you will wake up in the morning already accustomed to being cold and wet, and the rain will no longer feel like an obstacle. If you want to make this strategy even more effective, consider asking your roommate to set 15 alarms each morning to make the idea of staying in your room even less appealing than waking up to attend class.
DISCLAIMER: The Backdoor is not authorized to provide diagnostic or prescriptive medical advice. If you are turning to The Backdoor for help, it might be too late for you.
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