If for whatever reason a move doesn't work out, I found that forcing yourself to go outside during the daytime, even in colder weather, helps out immensely with SAD. I get that with working a full time job it's difficult, but I found my seasonal depression goes down when I do this, and now I only really get it between late November to the end of February.

Honestly, I used to feel this way until I started doing outdoor winter activities. Snowshoe, hike, ski/snowboard. Just getting outside and active gives your brain all the good chemicals. I look forward to winter every year even though my main hobbies are warm weather hobbies.

I cannot understand why someone wouldn't like September and October in Connecticut. They are the best two months of the year here. I definitely understand hating the Winter grind but Autumn is absolutely phenomenal.

If you are only happy when it's hot, then you really need to live closer to the equator.

I think being depressed 75% of the year goes past the "seasonal" prefix

February and march are brutal here. Endless grey gloom. They should move Christmas/winter holidays to March so at least we’d have something to look forward to.

Try getting a ‘sun’ light. Also, try to get out side during the day or definitely on weekends if you work during the week. Both will make a huge difference.

IDK, I kind of like winter, although it's not as fun when it's too warm, slush and mud isn't as pretty as icicles and snow covered landscapes

The problem with moving south is living with southerners.

I have SAD but I don’t want to live anywhere else. Get outside and walk/exercise no matter how cold it is. The temperature doesn’t matter—it’s about getting sunlight. You can buy a lightbox. Be sure to take a vitamin d3 supplement and consider going on anti depressants for a few months. Honestly, I would be much more depressed living in a red state.

I've wanted to my entire life but life had other plans.

Cold and lack of connections, being stuck in a small farm town for 22 years sucks. I barely see anybody under 40 when I go to the grocery store. Can’t wait to leave in August.

I've been dreaming of moving to California 🌞 🏄‍♂️

Don’t ever move to the Seattle area…….

The only solution is to move to Hawaii, I lived there for 5 years, best weather of my life.

Literally the mildest winter ever.

I’m the opposite. I want to move to a colder place. I hate simultaneously barely having any winter and also having people complain about how “bad” it is all the time.

Planning to leave as soon as I retire. Headed south for warmer weather, mostly because of my arthritis, but also because going to work in the dark and getting out in the dark almost six months out of the year gets me so depressed.

I think if it snowed more often the winter blues wouldn't be so bad. with snowfall comes snow clean up. you're kind of forced outside. The work of snow clearing gives a sense of satisfaction when it is complete plus the exertion is a form of exercise.

Yup. Moved to Miami 2 years ago. I feel better, exercise more, and spend more time outside. It’s improved my quality of life 10 fold

I lived in places with seasons my whole life including CT and then moved to SoCal... warm weather and sun all of the time. It was great, but for me, also weird. I needed seasons (and for other reasons) moved back after several years.

I moved here from London at least partially because the weather is SO MUCH better here than there. I love how much sun we get in Connecticut. Over 60% more hours of sun, on average! Over 200 days a year with at least some sun! Even compared to other American cities, we compare pretty well. In general, SAD is driven more by lack of sun than temperature, but everyone is a bit different.

I can’t say it was SAD that pushed me out of CT but the weather was a big factor. I got so sick of the snow and we were living in apartments that always had draft windows. Trying to keep the windows sealed for winter was a huge pain in the ass. We moved to Texas about two years ago and now I miss CT lol.

Of all the problems someone might think we have in CT, the weather is the least of them. We usually get 4 seasons, and they extremes aren't as bad as other states. Not as hot as the south or midwest, not as cold as midwest or upstate new york, etc.

Tame winters like this one actually makes me want to move north a bit. Spring is more exhilerating when you've been getting your ass kicked by winter.

I plan trips for Jan and Feb to a cheap warm place, best time to go Spain Italy or Portugal, not as many tourists and enjoyable weather. Now that I have kids, I take them for walks in the afternoon and the sun and movement has really helped. During my college years when I was working part time and didn't see the sun all day as I am in a windowless classroom and office, it was brutal.

Now I take 6000umg of vitamin d as well. I will probably do winter in Thailand or Malaysia during retirement

The cloudiness bothered me more then the cold. Northern VA is pretty liberal, if you need suggestions. And much sunnier, even in the winter.

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Haha you feeling that seasonal depression after yesterday's cold reminder? I'm in the same boat but the way my brain works is I don't realize how much the cold/lack of light really have effected me until it's over.

That being said yesterday was one of the worst type of spring days to me. Just when you think we're over the truly chilly threshold

I feel this. I hate everything outside may-august and maybe some days in April / September.

I get so depressed on Oct / Nov knowing it's over.

I have small sparks of joy during the first few snows.

February through April is mostly just cold, and sometimes rainy, but mostly a grayscale hellscape of mud and ice and dead plants.

Sounds like you're a future snowbird lol.

To be fair, humans were always nomadic up until we invented agriculture.

Google “Vitamin D for winter depression”. Less exposure to sunlight causes lower levels of vitamin D which has been linked to the winter blues.

no the answer to your question is that i do not live in luxury it's just 8 months of suffering followed by 4

I didn't leave because of seasonal depression but I left because the cold sucks balls and I hated it (despite being someone who plays hockey all year).

Weather splits a lot of people, I know plenty of people who would rather eat dirt then live in a place with no seasons and I have people who live vicariously through me during the winter months up North.

Leaving family and friends can be tough but unless you have the personality of a gently used toaster strudel you'll find new people to click with.

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I moved to Eastern NC last year in part for the warmer climate. I wore a winter coat twice this winter & that was early morning. It is blissfully sunny here most of the time & I absolutely love it

Yes absolutely. I am in Tennessee and excited because the winters are so mild.

Had SAD for 50 years, before they even recognized it. I went to school at the University of Vermont, 250 miles north of here in Burlington, VT, the second cloudiest city in the country. Now that was bad. I would never move out of CT for “better” weather because every place that has “better” weather has worse politics.

Take up skiing.

Winter is great!

Sounds like you haven't taken up skiing or snowboarding yet. It's the ultimate way to make you anticipate and appreciate cold days.

Have you tried snowboarding or skiing? Seasonal depression becomes a distant memory once you fall in love with a winter sport

I’m in the minority I guess- I’m heading north. I like to ski and I like lakes and mountains in both winter and summer and CT just doesn’t cut it. Not too mention it’s too hot for me here in the summer.

only happy june through august? september in new england is what i imagine is behind the pearly gates of heaven. i can't imagine anyone not absolutely fawning over september connecticut

I struggle with this! I'm originally from a place with a Mediterranean climate so the cold and dark winters really do a number on me.

It helps to get outside during the winter and to stay active. That's really the only thing that keeps me going. I despise the mornings when I have wake up even earlier for work to scrape ice off my car. It makes me question why I even live here lol. I dream of moving back to Australia one day.

It's the current plan.

It’s most likely due to lack of vitamin D, which comes from the sun. Winter days are shorter meaning less sun. I’m assuming you don’t get out a ton which means you’re getting even less light. It’s just shit weather

You’re not alone.

I love it here summer - fall. Being outside sucks Nov-April sometimes even May - oh yeah and cost of living is expensive here. I’m just not happy cramming all my favorite outdoor activities into a measly 3 months - I love outdoors.

I do enjoy skiing, but I don’t waste my time skiing the east coast bc west coast / mountain west is so much better. The winter here is unredeeming in the sense that I can’t do any of my favorite winter activities here. Examples: lucky if you get 1 day of pond hockey during winter, we get little snowfall so there’s not many east coast pow ski days (and when we do-a bad day on a west coast mountain is almost always better than a great day on east coast), if you want to snowshoe you have to wait for snow, which this year hardly even came.

It’s cold and boring for majority of the year sans summer and early autumn.

Also, I am moving to South Florida this year (queue the haters). Parents staying so I can see my fav seasons in CT without the bad.

Really not a fan of the "cold months" which are for me November - April heh. I generally go south 5 weeks in January/February because I work on a farm and we have that time off. The weather is pretty much my least favorite part of living in CT, but my family is here and I could not stand to live in any of the warm states except maybe Hawaii.

I love the winter, since I’m off the seasonal work I started going to the gym. It’s helped w keeping a healthy mind and not being sad. I know some ppl tan to get they’re vitamin D up.

I'm the complete opposite. The summer months and that ugly humidity is terrible. At least in the winter you can bundle up with some blankets.

Have you tried artificial sun light? Tanning beds are like getting a warm hug from the sun.

I've lived here for most of my 52 years, and I thrive on October through February. Late April/early May can be nice too. I hate,hate,hate summer here. Maybe it's because I work outside all year round. But, then again, everybody's different.

I stay here for the autumns. If I ever move it will be north.

When it's cold, you can always put on more, or better layers. When it's hot and humid, you are screwed.

I used a daylight lamp at my desk this year. I think it helped!

September and October are my favorite months here. Nothing like our foliage and that crisp autumn air 🍁

Nahhh I hate the heat, thinking of moving north.

If you want to move, move, but try some other things too, like those sunlight lamps. I'm originally from SC and knew plenty of people there who suffered from SAD, despite the all-around warmer weather.

Let the sadness wash over you like a mountain stream after a long cold winter

My daughter suffers as well. Tanning beds are bad but the light helps so put on the lotion and join the planet fitness. Once a week in the blue light helps.

If weather is your issue then it will be wherever you go. Florida too hot hurricanes insects gator etc. happiness is a state of mind. I agree going outdoors is good for you but happiness would not walk in.

Those are the months I'm least happy here (June-August) XD

Weather and the shift in amount of daylight are factors that affects all of us differently. There are ways to make the cold enjoyable such as getting outside regardless of weather. Check out this article: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-norways-friluftsliv-could-help-us-through-a-coronavirus-winter

If your budget allows, spend some time at REI or LL Bean and get the right clothes for the different parts of the seasons.

But if you are the type of person that just doesn’t like the cold, the only way to escape it is to move permanently or even temporarily to a much warmer climate area. I do see a lot of Florida plates in CT in the Summer, just like I’ve seen a lot of NY and Ontario plates in Florida in February. Maybe this is why “the van life” and RVs are so attractive to some.

Do what feels right for you.

I agree with a few other people here. Getting outside for a hike or walk around the neighborhood multiple times a week even in the winter months helps a lot, even on the overcast days. This winter it was pretty easy considering how mild it was. Don't get me wrong I have days where I think about visiting my in laws in Florida but for the most part getting outside helped a lot. I also increased the lighting throughout my house to make things brighter when indoors.

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Edited to add, its not bad getting outside in the winter with proper layers. Base, mid layer, outer layer. Try not to wear cotton. Stick to Merino Wool, synthetics, fleece and a decent outer layer and you'll be comfortable especially once you get moving.

I'd like to move out because this state sucks

I moved down to Florida for a few years and then came back. I also can't stand the cold and the long, dark days. It's different down there though. I won't get into politics and all that, but there are some major ideological differences that I just didn't vibe with. The labor market was also abysmal.

Get a dog. It forces you outside plus unconditional love. :)

Seasonal depression wasn't the only factor in my move, but it was a consideration. By February/ March of each year I was usually in pretty bad shape from being stuck inside during daylight hours. I went the complete opposite direction and moved to San Diego.

Are you a teacher?

I moved to Denver from CT about a decade ago. Out here we've got more than 300 days of sunshine, which you'd think would be great, but I'm starting to really miss gray, rainy days, and I'm finding the near-constant sunshine almost oppressive.

Boo hoo for me, I know. But I think what I most crave is variety in my weather. Too much rain and cold OR too much sunshine and dry air can really affect my mood. In fact, we're considering a move back to New England specifically for the drizzly days and foggy deciduous forests.

Going outside and getting sunshine is key.☀️

Yup went farther north, It was great until a season pass to a local mountain cost 1k+

Honestly unless you move somewhere without four seasons that’s tropical, you’re going to have to deal with this to some extent. I moved to Atlanta and the winters are indeed shorter and milder, but it still gets grey and depressing. Definitely easier than New England but it’s very hard to escape completely. I would evaluate how much of a change you need and go from there.

Wouldn’t it be easier to go to therapy than uproot your life and move?

I wish I could be back in Connecticut. Currently residing in Minnesota during a record breaking Winter with snow that’s still going into spring. I hate it.

There seem to be 2 seasons in CT: winter and July.

I have taken up the habits of the nordic environment and embraced coziness during the colder months. I built a faux fireplace with electric heater in each bedroom. I have cozy lighting, and soft heated throws and i have to say it had helped switch my mindset considerably

Yes it’s a big problem in the northeast. Give yourself reasons and excuses to go out often helps.

Not yet but eventually plan to. Hate the grayness here.

That's the only thing I can't stand about living here, but it's the everything else that keeps me here. This state does a pretty good job with the laws we pass. I feel safe here as a woman. I'm proud of the prison reform CT has accomplished. We have good food (pizza), legalized weed, people here are the right amount of friendly, we're close to NYC and Boston (and therefore have access to lots of awesome things, museums, exhibits, concerts, etc). We have good schools, access to top notch health care, we are one of the few states that has paid maternity leave. You can drive 30 mins and be in the city or the country. You can also get to pretty much anywhere using backroads (I love our backroads). The quality of life here is really good. I'm sure CA has many of the same benefits, but the cost of living is significantly higher. You can still buy a decent SFH in CT for under 250k.

Cost of living and and my hatred of winter have me thinking lately. I don’t see myself growing old in this state

I’ve met lots of people from this area that moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and said they’d never move back because of the weather here. I just moved here from there. I met them being an Uber driver in SF.

I tend to leave CT for the winter unless I have to be here. Summer is too hot in Charleston and winter is just kinda miserable here but I was enjoying 75 degree weather in January.

It’s only January-February that I find really dispiriting

I am a weirdo and like the cold, gray, dark period of the year. Honestly I like all four of the seasons and as each one progresses you start to look forward to the season ahead of it.

For me the SAD is the combination of the cold AND the lack of sun. It seems our January and Februarys are full of gray days where we rarely see the sun.

I do love living here and enjoy all 4 seasons. I try to make an effort to do more activities in those tougher months to get me through. It’s not always pretty but it works for me.

As an anecdote, a friend moved to LA years ago and the weather there definitely helped his SAD significantly. But moving to a whole new part of the world brought other challenges - making friends as an adult isn’t easy - and I think it amplified other forms of depression.

The devil you know is sometimes better than the one you don’t.

Happy light, Vit D, exercise, and hydration. Get out side as much as possible.

I found it helps a lot.

I moved to California and then moved back to Connecticut. I hate the winters. So yeah. I’m happy we had a very mild winter. But it’s still not warm enough. Maybe this week.

I've lived in a few places in CT. Currently in NW part of the state and seasonal depression is noticeable. When I lived near the water in Stamford, I did not have SAD. I lived in RI before that, did not have SAD.

I get through it by having lots of cups of hot broth, hot baths and making fires. This winter was mild so going out for hikes was helpful too. It is a huge challenge and my goal is to be a snow bird (go down south for 3 months) when my husband and I retire. That's nearly 2 decades away, so I'm in it for the long haul. If you can move, you should. It will be life altering.