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Today, I’d like to share advice from the trenches on how to homeschool with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

I’ve been wanting to write this post for…ever. But the thing is, when you are deep in the throes of SAD, you don’t want to do much of anything. So it only took me several years and a global pandemic to get ‘er done.

Let’s chat, shall we?

How to Homeschool with Seasonal Affective Disorder

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to the change in season. You can read more about the disorder here, but SAD is a type of depression that typically presents in the fall, when the days get shorter, and resolves in the spring when there is more sunlight.

First things first…

Please do not be afraid to seek help for yourself and/or your children. Finding and connecting with a therapist can be life-changing.

Therapy and/or medication can be an absolute game-changer. It is brave to ask for help and, in doing so, you are modeling prioritizing mental health for your children. This is a huge, important life skill.

And I told you- I’m deep in the trenches with you. I am speaking from experience here. You are never alone.

When you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, you need to re-prioritize the basics:

Depression makes it hard to accomplish everyday tasks. Routines and daily habits can rupture. It can take incredible strength to accomplish things that once seemed to come almost automatically.

And that’s why it’s imperative to focus on those basics first:

1. Sleep

I know, I know. This is easier said than done. When you are struggling with SAD, you might have trouble sleeping. Or, you might find yourself sleeping too much and having trouble getting out of bed. I’ve experienced both over the years. They both stink.

I have found that an automatic coffee pot helps a little bit. And I try to go to bed at a consistent time. Reading before bed helps me to calm my mind, too. Try to do what works best for you.

2. Nutrition

I know that when I feel really low, it can be hard to meal plan and eat well, but I’ve learned that the key is to keep things ridiculously simple.

A crockpot (even an ancient one with a missing handle like you see below) can be a life-saver.

Soups and stews are easy to make and you can add heaps of veggies. Have your kids make a salad. Make extra (I often have dueling crackpots) and freeze half for when you JUST CAN’T.

3. Physical Exercise

I can always tell when my SAD is kicking up because it becomes incredibly hard for me to motivate me to exercise. I’m someone who loves to workout. I love high-intensity interval workouts, running, and hiking. But, come October, I have to drag myself out of the house.

I have to constantly remind myself that I always feel better afterward. There’s science behind this, too. I highly recommend THIS book.

If you’d like to jumpstart your workout routine in a simple, affordable way, I highly recommend TeacherFit and StudentFit. You can read more here:

How to Be A Happier Homeschool Mom with TeacherFit – My husband and I have been using TeacherFit for a couple of years and StudentFit was added this year. My kids love it. If you want to try TeacherFit and/or StudentFit, use the promo code POPPIES10 for $10 off.

4. Nature

Getting outside in the sunshine, especially if you can do it before 10:00 am (again: science!), can be incredibly helpful. You don’t need to hike the mountains. Even just reading outside can help a little bit. And if you’d like to learn more, I highly recommend this book by Richard Louv.

Additional Tools for Homeschooling Through Seasonal Affective Disorder

Here are some other things that have helped me over the years in my battle with Seasonal Affective Disorder:

1. Phototherapy/Sun Lamp

Light therapy, when consistent, can make an impact. Talk to your doctor, but I use a sun lamp for 20-30 minutes every morning while drinking my coffee and reading aloud to my kiddos. It helps.

We have had our lamp for years. This is the updated version of the one we have:

Philips GoLite Blue Energy Rechargeable Light Therapy Lamp

2. Meditation

This is one of those things that you slack on when you aren’t feeling super and it’s just plain silly. Everyone has five or ten minutes to spare, especially when you’re depressed. I have loved HeadSpace in the past and I’ve been using the Calm app for the last two years.

3. Simple, Sustainable Routines

When you’re homeschooling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, you can feel really crappy about the state of your homeschool. I’ve been there. Just remember that homeschooling has its seasons and some are better than others. Focus on super simple routines and save the rest for the spring. You’re in charge, mama!

Daily Read-Aloud- This is the most important part of your homeschool day. You can tackle any subject. If you manage to read aloud to your children on the days you feel cruddy, you have accomplished THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
Play More- Play is good for all of us. It can help us to connect, smile, and laugh. Those are three important things when you’re feeling low. If you’d like to get started with gameschooling, check out Gameschooling 101. I poured my heart and soul into it!
Nature for everyone- As I mentioned above, nature is scientifically proven to help. This year, I am struggling with SAD and I have a kiddo muddling through anxiety and we are in the midst of a global pandemic. You can read more about what we’ve been doing here.

Hyggeschooling can help with Seasonal Affective Disorder

Hygge doesn’t have a direct translation into English, but the closest word is probably coziness. Hyggeschooling helps to slow down your homeschool and embrace the most hyggeligt time of year.

Hyggeschooling can include things like:

Tea, coffee, or cocoa
Twinkle lights (you can get battery-operated ones that have a timer and you don’t even have to remember to turn them on. Magic for a SAD mama!)
Candles and/or battery-operated candles
Puzzles
Games (Gameschooling can help- and it doesn’t even need to be super educational. We have been chucking burritos at each other and it helps, I promise!)
Comforting scents (I love Sixth Scents Oils and if you are interested, you can use the code CAIT10 to get $10 off)
Reading by the fire
Baking
Cozy blankets and/or weighted blankets

Learn more about hyggeschooling with The Homeschool Sisters Podcast:

Hyggeschooling {Episode 84} | The Homeschool Sisters Podcast
Hyggeschooling 2: Electric Light Boogaloo {Episode 58} | The Homeschool Sisters Podcast

Be kind to yourself.

Remember, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Whether that is seeking counseling, or using medication, or if it’s telling your partner that you need a break, or if it’s asking a neighbor to Zoom with the kids while you have a minute of silence, asking for help is brave.

This is hard, but we can do hard things. You are not alone. I’m muddling through the muck right alongside you. And we’ve got this.

Related Resources:

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: Are you homeschooling with Seasonal Affective Disorder? Share your tips and tricks here!

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Thank you for taking the time to address this issue. I too have struggled with SAD over the years, and this year is definitely one of the harder ones. I love the twinkly lights idea and I put up colored lights on my curtain rod along with a full spectrum light to trick myself into thinking there’s more light out there than there actually is 🙂 I also hang up a pretty shower curtain on the curtain rod to block out the dismal grey sky while still letting any light brighten the room. And LOTS of lights on. I have 4 different lights in a small room.

I’ve struggled for my entire adult life with SAD, so much so that one of the reasons we homeschool is so we can go south (from Maine) for the winter. I have found some relief from the supplement SAM-E, and I have tried allll the things over the years. But Florida sun works best.

So appreciate you sharing this with us! It does help to see someone not only surviving but thriving through SAD (and in New England nonetheless! I’m in the south and feel like a wimp when mine kicks in at 65 degrees!) I dread the fall and winter (and time change) every year and live for the milder days when I don’t hate being outside because cold is touching me. And I’ve got a little 2e guy to tend to too so it’s even more important to get us both out for a as much light and beauty as we can get. Natural beauty is our soul’s balm! Grateful for all you share!

Thank you so much for talking about this subject. Five winters in western Washington with SAD we’re so difficult, and sometimes my SAD lasted year round if it was an especially gray summer. I have tried many of your suggestions and they are all good ones. Just getting out of bed was super hard but a sun clock helped, with its artificial sunrise when there wasn’t one outside. Getting outside, even in the rain, helped. We began making our own candles one December with beeswax and both making and burning them often in the darkest months helped boost my spirits. And twinkle lights are great too. We started noticing the winter solstice, and celebrating it (inspired by Brambly Hedge) with candles and poems. Something about recognizing that we were at the low, but that from that day onward it was going to be lighter every day on a steady March toward spring gave me hope and a reminder that the dark days would end.

Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley says:

December 21, 2020 at 12:50 pm

Great tips, Alana. The SADs are the pits!!