I was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder last year. It won’t surprise you to know that it was because I lived in Seattle. I bought a bright light that was designed to have you sit in front of it for several minutes throughout the day. It was a great way to boost my feelings of happiness. The typical symptoms of SAD include depression, lack of energy, increased need for sleep, and a craving for sweets and weight gain. That’s exactly what happened to me. I gained more than 30 pounds over the few years that I lived there.

I recently moved from Seattle to Utah where it is sunny a good majority of the time. I started losing weight immediately because I no longer craved sweets, I felt like I had more energy, which allowed me to start exercising. My mood totally lightened up and I felt 100% better. As I mentioned before I bought a light therapy box type light of 10,000-lux and I was able to use it up to 30 minutes per day. The truth is, nothing beats the sunlight. I would recommend using a light box if you live in a place that doesn’t get much sun. It will help you with your depression.