Winter blues: How to boost your mood during Long Island's long cold season

The mounds of icy snow, tinged gray by dirt and exhaust fumes, aren’t going anywhere. Neither are the gloomy gray skies and bitter cold, with subzero wind chills forecast for this weekend.

It's been a long, bleak winter, even by New York standards, and many Long Islanders are feeling depressed.

"I’m definitely seeing it with my patients and hearing about it in my personal life," said Christopher Fisher, a psychologist with a private practice in Rockville Centre and director of adult outpatient psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital. "These conditions are really supporting and fostering more of a depressive lifestyle. To combat depression, the most effective practice is activity and this is directly working against it."

And unless you have a plane ticket for a tropical island getaway or enjoy nesting on the couch with a good book or movie, you have many more cold days to contend with, according to the weather forecast.

"Prolonged cold keeps people indoors and disrupts the habits that normally support mental health," Dr. Aaron Pinkhasov, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island, said in an email.

"People move less, skip workouts and often cancel social activities, which increases isolation," he said. "Many also turn to comfort foods high in sugar and processed carbs, which can raise inflammatory markers linked to depression."

Pinkhasov said the shorter daylight hours can also trigger mood changes sometimes leading to Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that emerges — sometimes annually — between late winter and early spring. People diagnosed with SAD can be treated with light therapy and medication. Their symptoms usually improve in the spring.

Some people may be afraid to venture outside because many sidewalks are not cleared and the cold and ice can be downright dangerous some days.

"We’re working under life-threatening conditions," Fisher said. "People have passed away while shoveling snow. I think hearing that puts the fear in the rest of society to stay inside ... then you are running the heat too long and that could turn into a financial issue."

He said one way to combat that depression is to make your bed, brush your teeth, shower and get dressed even if you are staying inside that day.

"Use routines and set shorter term goals to build momentum," he said. "If you can even get outside for five minutes a day, quickly walk up and down the block, get some sunlight into your life and on your skin."

Check out exercise videos on the internet or pop in an old DVD and do an indoor workout, Fisher recommended.

Pinkhasov said people can maintain social connections if they are stuck inside, even virtually. And UV light therapy lamps have been shown to improve mood and energy, he said.

"When possible, a short winter trip to a sunnier location — such as Florida, Arizona or the Caribbean — can boost light exposure, break up long winters, improve resilience and give something positive to look forward to," he said.

Pinkhasov said it’s important to remember sensitivity to changes in light, sleep and routine varies by individual, influenced by genetics and biology.

"People long exposed to northern climates may be better adapted to dark winters, while those from sunnier regions may be more susceptible to seasonal mood shifts," he said. "Most importantly, if symptoms persist or worsen and affect daily functioning, [people should] seek professional help."

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.