As the roll of the holidays comes to a stop and the calendar flips to January, many days remain shorter with gloomier weather, that causes many to feel in a rut.

With a new year ahead, and COVID-19 keeping this year a little different, many struggle to manage seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) on top of the stress of living through a pandemic. 

“Having to stay home has made all the days blend together and it puts a damper on my mood when knowing the world is fighting a virus and having the sky in a blanket of grey makes it harder to keep the motivation to do daily chores,” said Scott Dean, a junior. 

With shorter daylight hours and limited exposure to daylight can lead many to feel helplessness, hopelessness, irritability and confinement on top of these winter months according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

“This year I had purchased a therapy light, that has helped me tremendously,” said Sarah Ross, a junior.  “I sit in front of it for 30 minutes a day and it gives a mood booster the sun would give me.”

As the world has never experienced a global pandemic before, it is not proven that it intensifies seasonal depression but by finding mood boosters for oneself could positively affect one’s winter season.