Treating Winter Blues

Amidst subfreezing temperatures and nine-hour days, mental health is a test of will

A tuft of grass pokes through a layer of snow. (Robert Isenberg)

Winter blues are hard to combat, especially in dark and frigid New England. But for milder cases, there’s a strategy both simple and effective: focus on something you like about the season.

Notes & Addenda

• While the opening sequences take place at home in Rhode Island, the snowstorm was filmed around a pond in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. The weekend getaway was ill-fated (sickness, foot injury, attractions closed due to weather), but the snowfall itself was idyllic.
• True seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is said to afflict about 10 million Americans.
• “Thinking positive thoughts” isn’t a comprehensive treatment, of course. Other options include light therapy, talk therapy, and antidepressant medications.