Cornell
Beating the Winter Blues:
Health
A Guide to Getting Through Winter at Cornell
Live Well to
Learn Well
Web:
health.cornell.edu
Phone (24/7):
607-255-5155
Fax:
607-255-0269
Appointments:
Monday–Saturday
Check web for hours,
services, providers,
and appointment
information
110 Ho Plaza,
Ithaca, NY
14853-3101
Though Cornell boasts state-of-the-art facilies,
great faculty, and numerous opportunies for
students to nd instrucon in any subject, it
also has some of the dreariest weather in the
northeast. With long, cloudy winters around the
Ithaca area, many students, sta, and faculty
suer from the blues, a mild depression brought
on by a decrease in exposure to sunlight as
autumn deepens. This fact sheet is intended to
provide you with informaon concerning the
symptoms and eecve methods on how to treat
the winter blues.
What it is
Those suering from the winter blues typically fall
into a depressed mood each year in the fall and
connue to feel depressed throughout the winter
and into the early spring, when these feelings
disappear.
The winter blues and its more severe counterpart,
Seasonal Aecve Disorder (SAD), aects about
four mes as many women as men. Nearly 25%
of all college students across the United States
suer from the winter blues, and this percentage
increases at higher latudes or more cloudy areas,
such as the Ithaca region.
The winter blues are primarily caused by
unstable melatonin levels, a hormone produced
during sleep, and serotonin, a neurotransmier
responsible for mood, hunger, and sleep. As the
days become shorter and the hours of sunlight
decrease, suerers of the winter blues experience
changes in their mood, energy level, and ability to
concentrate.
Although the winter blues are not as severe as
long-term depression, they can change the way
a person thinks, reacts, and deals with everyday
challenges.
Signs & symptoms
If you experience two or more of these symptoms
each year in the fall and into the spring you may
suer from the winter blues:
• Increased feelings of lethargy
• Diculty waking up in the mornings as the
days get shorter
• Diculty concentrang and thinking creavely
in comparison to the summer months
• Incorrectly blaming oneself for things that go
wrong
• Diculty performing tasks that normally seem
to be easy/enjoyable
• Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich and
high-sugar food
Even small self-care strategies can make a dierence.
You’re likely to be challenged by grey days for
much of your me at Cornell, but the good
news is that more than 85% of people with the
winter blues can overcome these symptoms with
various forms of therapy. See below for dierent
strategies you may also consider.
Consider these strategies
Exercise and its benefts
Aerobic exercise has proven to help college
students combat feeling of the blues in the winter.
Not only does aerobic exercise improve mood,
but it also has been shown to reduce stress, which
oen exacerbates feelings of depression brought
on by the winter blues. Studies have shown that
one hour aerobic exercise outside (even with a
cloudy skies overhead) has the same benets
as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors. Aerobic
exercise rids winter blues suerers from feelings
of depression because it increases serotonin
levels. Briskly walking to classes, taking a run,
skiing, sledding and having a snowball ght have
all be proven to help suers of the blues feel
beer.
Cornell’s Recreaonal Services department oers
some free group tness classes. See the schedule
and drop in as you are able: scl.cornell.edu/
recreaon/tness-centers/group-tness-classes.
Cornell’s Physical Educaon also oers several
classes, available via Canva.
Nutrition: what to eat and why
Many people who suer from the winter blues
crave junk food and so drinks as the days get
shorter. The reason they want to indulge in high-
sugar foods is because carbohydrates are oen
eecve in increasing serotonin levels in the
(over)
brain. A beer strategy for anyone with
the winter blues is to eat larger porons
of complex carbohydrates, like pasta and
rice, and healthy simple carbohydrates
like fruits and fruit juices during meals,
and stay away from unhealthy snacks
that will cause momentary relief, but
ulmately decrease energy.
Sleep strategies
Because many college students tend to
go to sleep late and wake up late, those
suering from the winter blues are oen
asleep when the morning sun is up and
shining. This sleep-wake schedule limits
the number of hours that those with the
winter blues are exposed to sunlight.
Winter blues suerers should make an
eort to expose themselves to sunlight
in the early morning. Take a walk outside
or li the curtain in your room as soon
as you rise. Also, try to limit sleep to
8-hour periods on a regular schedule.
Oversleeping and uctuaon in sleep-
wake schedule causes increases in levels
of melatonin during sleep, which can
contribute to feelings of depression. Set
a regular bedme and wake up at the
same me each day. This will give you
more energy during the day and reduce
feelings of depression.
Nature/Plants
Studies have shown that being around
plant soil and breathing in the microbes
can boost serotonin levels. Consider geng
a house plant or building a terrarium. Or
visit a greenhouse or plant store.
Sledding, a nature walk, or photographing
nature can also help boost feelings
of revitalizaon and foster posive
engagement. Bundle up and go outside!
Light Boxes
Mulple studies have found that the
majority of those suering from the
winter blues experience relief solely
from the regular use of “light boxes.”
Light boxes emit high intensies of light
of 2,500 to 10,000 lux (as compared to a
normal light xture that emits 250 to 500
lux) and produce similar eects to the
sun’s natural rays. The high intensies
of light improve the mood of those
suering from the winter blues because
they restrict the secreon of melatonin
in the brain. Light boxes are best used
daily and in the early morning for periods
of 30 minutes to two hours. Depending
on the severity of the winter blues case,
most people nd their symptoms are
gone aer just two weeks of use.
Light boxes may be covered by your
insurance plan if you get a prescripon,
so be sure to contact your plan provider.
You can purchase light boxes in the
pharmacy at Cornell Health or from
several companies online.
(Note: if your insurance doesn’t cover
light boxes, consider simply purchasing
full-spectrum light bulbs for your
bedroom and work spaces.)
Medication
Some people who suer from more
severe cases of the winter blues might
nd that andepressant medicine, in
conjuncon with other forms of therapy,
assist mood. Drugs like Paxil, Prozac,
and Zolo, which increase levels of
serotonin by blocking re-uptake cites
in the brain, have proven eecve with
some paents. There is evidence that
suggests that the over-the-counter
medicaon St. John’s wort may also
be eecve in relieving symptoms. If
considering any medicaon, speak with
your medical provider or mental health
counselor about the possible benets of
andepressants.
Talk with us
If your aempts at self-care aren’t
working, reach out for support. Your
Primary Care Provider (PCP) at Cornell
Health can review your symptoms and
make recommendaons for support.
They can also assist you with referrals
to specialists and with prescripons
(e.g., for medicaon or other pharmacy
supplies) as needed. Appointments with
your PCP can be made online through
myCornellHealth (mycornellhealth.
health.cornell.edu) or by phone at
607-255-5155.
Additional resources
• American Psychological Associaon:
apa.org/helpcenter/seasonal-
aecve-disorder
• Naonal Instute of Mental
Health (NIMH): newsinhealth.nih.
gov/2013/01/beat-winter-blues
• The Naonal Environmental Educaon
Foundaon: www.neefusa.org/story/
health-and-environment/embrace-
outdoors-beat-winter-blues
11/23
health.cornell.edu