Can relentless Sacramento rain alter your mood? Here are coping tips from a UC psychologist

Sacramento has witnessed a wrath of winter storms this year, some of which have kept the city of trees dreary for weeks at a time.

Though the Golden State capital has a reputation of being a mostly sunny city, this year has been the opposite.

Linda Budd, 72, has been living in Sacramento for 16 years, she says she doesn’t like to complain about the rain because it helps the drought — but the rainy streak this year has kept her indoors.

“(I)t does get to the point where I didn’t want to go out anywhere because I have to put on so much gear and by the time I get there I’m soaking wet and my hair is a mess,” Budd said.

And it leaves some people struggling to cope.

“I have noticed this winter, some of my patients that I see are really struggling with their mood,” said Dr. Angela Drake, neuropsychologist at UC Davis Health. “They really notice on days where it’s sunnier their mood is just brighter.”

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 5% of adults in the United States have experienced seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. For southern states, like California, where it’s mostly sunny, winter fatigue is still possible.

“I think I definitely get a bit of seasonal depression when it’s rainy,” said Mia Lawrence, 20, as she was studying at Philz coffee shop in the Ice Blocks on Thursday afternoon. “But the sunshine definitely makes me feel happier and content.”

SAD is associated with changes in the season and typically starts and ends around the same time for people who are diagnosed, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“I suggest people who haven’t been diagnosed, to monitor or self monitor their mood,” said Dr. Drake.

The Bee spoke with Drake for ways to help kick winter fatigue and important signs to watch out for as rain continues in Sacramento.

Sunlight boosts your mood

Our bodies are programmed around the light and dark cycle, Drake said. Sunlight and darkness affect the way our brains function, which is why when the body receives less sunlight some people may experience unbalances in their mood, appetite and day-to-day life.

“Winter is really when people have a tendency to develop what we call seasonal affective disorder,” Drake said. “Which is is a mood disorder that’s directly related to that issue of not having enough sun exposure.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, at least 1,000 different genes in our body are governed by the active form vitamin D as well as other vitamins.

Signs to watch out for

Winter fatigue impacts more than just a persons mood. Here are some other symptoms to watch out for in yourself or your loved ones, according to Drake:

Physical symptoms

• Decreased energy
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Over sleeping

Behavioral symptoms

• Withdrawing
• Isolating from others

Emotional symptoms

• Anxiety
• Irritability

“If there’s a gray day and you’re a little bit down, that’s not a big deal, because we all get kind of, you know, we want to just crawl under the covers on a gray day, right?” Drake said. “Then when people need to get further help is when it gets to be hard to do the things they normally would do. Almost every day, more days than not.”

Coping with winter fatigue

If you’re feeling seasonal depression it’s always best to consult with your healthcare provider.

For some at home fixes Drake suggests the following tips:

Go for a walk outside

Taking a walk during a lunch break or even just sitting in the sun helps can boost your mood. Getting our bodies outside helps expose our eyes to sunlight that we wouldn’t otherwise get if we were indoors.

“Try to get as much exposure to sunlight as possible even getting outside on days when it isn’t really bright,” Drake said, “Because in a regular interior room, even a well lit room, you don’t get that much light.”

Buy lamps

People can purchase light boxes, which are designed to produce therapeutic bright light treatment. Another alternative is switching indoor lights in your home with full spectrum light bulbs. These light bulbs are also designed to emulate sunlight.

Vitamin D

Although Drake doesn’t like to say that vitamin D directly impacts a persons mood, it can generally help improve your energy levels.

“Vitamin D is something that I actually often will have asked my primary care doctors that I work with to check in with their folks when they’re working them up for depression,” Drake said. “It’s definitely important.”

Bottom line

“I would encourage people to get a treatment when appropriate,” Drake said, even if it might resolve at the end of the season.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023 at 5:00 AM.