Winter Blues: Seasonal Depression and the NRI Experience

It is 4:30 PM in London, Toronto, or Berlin. And it is pitch black outside. You just finished work, but your body feels like it is midnight. You are exhausted. You are craving carbs (maybe a heavy biryani or pasta). You don’t want to go to the gym; you just want to crawl under a blanket and hibernate until March.

Back home in India, your cousins are posting photos of sunny winter weddings, picnics on the terrace, and cricket matches. You look at your phone, look at the dark window, and feel a deep, heavy ache.

This is not just “homesickness.” This is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). For the Indian diaspora living in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a double blow: a biological shock to a tropical body, combined with the cultural isolation of a “grey” festive season.

The Biology: Why “Brown Skin” Struggles More

We are genetically engineered for the equator. Our ancestors evolved under intense sunlight. Our melanin (brown pigment) acts as a natural sunscreen to block excess UV radiation.

When you move to Canada or the UK:

1. The Vitamin D Crash: Your melanin blocks the weak northern sun too well. Almost all Indians abroad are severely Vitamin D deficient in winter. Low Vitamin D = Low Serotonin (Mood).
2. The Melatonin Mismatch: Darkness triggers Melatonin (the sleep hormone). When it gets dark at 4 PM, your brain screams “Sleep!” while your boss screams “Work!” This mismatch causes “Social Jetlag.”

Symptoms: It’s Not “Sadness,” It’s “Hibernation”

SAD looks different from typical depression.

• Typical Depression: You can’t sleep (Insomnia) and you lose appetite.
• Seasonal Depression: You sleep too much (Hypersomnia) and you eat too much (Carb Craving).

Your body is essentially trying to be a bear. It wants to store fat and sleep through the winter famine.

The NRI “Double Whammy”

For NRIs, the biological gloom coincides with the Cultural Gloom. October to January is “Festival Season” in India.

• Diwali in the Dark: Lighting a diya in a cold, windy apartment in New Jersey doesn’t feel the same as the chaotic joy of a Delhi Diwali.
• The “Wedding Season” FOMO: Seeing Instagram stories of family gatherings while you are shivering at a bus stop creates a deep sense of isolation.

4 Ways to Hack Your Winter

You cannot change the latitude, but you can change your biology.

1. Light Therapy (The Artificial Sun)

You need a SAD Lamp. Not a regular desk lamp. A medical-grade lamp that emits 10,000 Lux of bright white light.

• The Protocol: Sit in front of it for 20-30 minutes immediately after waking up (before 8 AM).
• The Effect: It hits your retina, tricks your brain into thinking it is a tropical morning, and shuts off the Melatonin. It is a game-changer.

2. The “Vitamin D” Prescription

Do not guess. Get a blood test. Most Indians need a much higher dose of Vitamin D3 supplements in winter than their white counterparts because our skin synthesis is slower. Talk to your GP about a high-dose supplement.

3. Embrace “Hygge” (The Mindset Shift)

Scandinavians don’t hate winter; they celebrate it. They call it Hygge (Cozy Togetherness). Instead of complaining about the cold, lean into it.

• Light candles.
• Cook slow, warm Indian stews (Dal Makhani).
• Invite friends over for board games. Make the indoors a sanctuary of warmth, not a prison.

4. Force the Movement

Your body will scream “No!” to the gym. Ignore it. Exercise releases Endorphins. Even a 15-minute walk in the freezing air oxygenates your brain and breaks the lethargy cycle.

When to Seek Help

If you are unable to get out of bed for work, or if you are feeling hopeless/suicidal, this is no longer just “Winter Blues.” It is Clinical Depression.

• Check Your SAD Score (PsychKit): Is it the weather or something deeper? Take the SPAQ (Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire) to see if you fit the clinical diagnosis for SAD. Take the SAD Test
• The Lonely Hour (VentOut): The evenings are the hardest. If it’s 5 PM and pitch dark and you feel lonely, chat with a listener. Breaking the isolation is critical. Talk to Someone Warm
• Find a Culturally Sensitive Therapist (IndianPsychologists): Sometimes you need a therapist who understands that missing your mom’s gajar ka halwa is a legitimate form of grief. Find an NRI-Friendly Therapist

Final Thought

Winter is temporary. The Earth is already tilting back towards the sun. Until then, be your own sun. Turn on the lamp, eat the warm food, and remind yourself: This too shall pass.

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📚 References & Further Reading

1. Rosenthal, Norman – Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
2. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – Seasonal Affective Disorder.
3. American Psychiatric Association – Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder.