This is the third article in the Bright Light series.
So light therapy is sounding more and more like something you’d like to try. Of course, you have more questions.
If light therapy is going to work for you, here’s the key and I can’t stress this point enough: You need your daily hit of light to make light therapy work. It has to become a morning habit, as automatic as brushing your teeth.
Show Up And Turn the Light On
If there’s a discipline in learning to manage the winter blues, this is it. You gotta get your light daily. No ifs, ands or buts. This is one of those times that you just need to show up. And turn the light on.
You can do other things while you’re getting your daily hit of light. This is one of the few times when multi-tasking is a very good thing.
Some people can slack off for up to three days before they feel the wet, gray blanket creeping back into their brain and body. Personally, I don’t know why you would want to feel that lethargy again.
Consistency is the key to success with a light therapy management plan.
Will it work?
Quite likely, but it depends on a few factors that are within your control. Light therapy works for eight out of 10 people who use it consistently.
It depends on how willing you are to readjust your morning routine and how committed you are to creating a new habit.
In my case, I was so desperate to feel better I was willing to do anything — and I was not a morning person then (I am now because of light therapy) and struggled to get up. Most people who don’t have a health condition that could be aggravated by light therapy are likely to benefit.
Disclaimer, of course
Here’s the disclaimer: There are certain conditions that may not be appropriate for light therapy. If you have a history of eye disease or are taking medications that make you photosensitive, you should consult with your doctor before starting light therapy.
You also need to check with a doctor about light therapy if you have been diagnosed with SAD, depression, bipolar disorder, mood or sleep disorders or are taking medication for the treatment of depression and/or mood disorders, such as: fluoxetine (Prozac®), fluvoxamine (Luvox®), paroxetine (Paxil®), sertraline (Zoloft®), venlafaxine (Effexor®), nefazodone (Serzone®), Wellbutrin® and Zyban®. Light therapy may change the effect of these kinds of medications.
Two reasons not to try this alone at home
First, you are attempting to create a new morning habit during the hardest time of the year, the dark days of winter when your normal energy and persistence are at low tide. It’s almost a set up for failure.
Second, most people will attempt this change in a vacuum, without the kind of guidance, support or encouragement that could make the difference between success and failure.
Perhaps your doctor or therapist suggested you try light therapy, in which case you may have a resource, if you have enough determination to keep it up between appointments. But most people won’t have much support to do what on the surface seems to be a such a simple thing, which is so unfortunate.
Accountability keeps it real
I spent a year training to become a health coach. What makes coaching so powerful for so many people is the fact that they are accountable to someone else for doing what they say they will do for themselves.
I’ve seen it work over and over again. I’ll discuss with a client what they want and the steps they need to begin taking. Then I’ll ask, “So when will you do it?” and they pause. Sometimes I have to ask for a specific deadline. And to seal the deal I’ll ask, “And how will I know?”
We’re human. No one wants to admit they didn’t do something they agreed to do.
Support makes it happen
Had I known everything I know now about treating the winter blues 10 years ago, it wouldn’t have taken me so long to feel better. Or to offer the help and guidance I can now offer.
I want you to know you’re not alone and you don’t have to be miserable. Been there, done that. No one wants that T-shirt.
I want you to know you can recover your natural sense of energy and joy no matter how long the sun hides.
Some thoughts to ponder:
What if you start caring for yourself in this most basic and fundamental way?
What would that feel like?
How would your winter feel different?
Tell us in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy the rest of the Bright Light series:
- Overview: How light therapy helps seasonal depression
- Article 1 : Cloudy with a chance of depression
- Article 2: Most of us are light deprived
- Article 3: Why you need a daily hit of bright light
- Article 4: Your early morning energy trigger
- Article 5: 6 tips for determining the light box you need
- Article 6: White, Blue, Green? Which light is best?
Ready to go shopping for a light box? Click here to get the free Light Therapy Lamp Guide to help you shop by brand.
Thanks for coming back! Are you receiving my email course "Secrets of Beating the Winter Blues" yet? It's a concise guide to creating your personal take-back-winter plan. Get it here and you'll also be on the advance list for this fall's workbooks and classes.
It did help, if only as a way of occupying myself. There was no hiding from the energy o’doom, though, so my...