Working any job could have stressful times, but working at night presents a different challenge. Some people could handle working nights, some can’t. However, whether you can handle working nights or not, make sure it doesn’t affect your mental health.
During this time of the year, many are experiencing the condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a depression that is caused by a lack of sunlight. It is usually associated with this time of the year, fall and winter. It could have an unfortunate impact on people who work at night. Let’s learn how you can cope if you’ve been experiencing SAD while working at night.
Get Enough Light as Possible per Day
If you’re dealing with SAD, having access to as much light as possible is imperative. Plenty of sunshine gives us the healthy amount of Vitamin D3 that we need. Lack of light can throw off your circadian rhythm, which was talked about in my last post.
Many people have utilized light therapy as a good method of treatment. This treatment, also known as phototherapy, involves the patient using a lightbox that they’re exposed to within the first hour of waking up each day. It is usually the first line of treatment for fall-onset SAD. It is vital that a person coping with SAD absorb light for about 30 minutes a day.
More Employers should Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle
In order for employees to lower their risk of SAD, they must eat healthier. What you eat has a big effect on your mood. Employers can encourage healthy eating habits for their night shift workers such as leaving nutritional snacks in the break room. They could also stress the importance of exercising during the daytime three times a week.
Medications for SAD
If light therapy doesn’t necessarily work, there are always medications you can use. Antidepressants are usually suitable options. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be used to improve mood by regulating serotonin levels in your body. Bupropion is another antidepressant that helps in treating the condition.
It’s also vital that night workers go out during the day and seek help from a trusted mental health professional trained in CBT. Doing all of these things will help in avoiding the SAD condition.
Are you a night worker dealing with SAD during this time of the year? Do you know someone dealing with this condition? Share how you cope with SAD in the comments section below. As always, feel free to like or share this post with someone you care about.
