The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Karl Anderson

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
82%
Dec 20, 2017
17
14
29
New York
Hello everyone who has SAD , Seasonal Depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder .

What has helped you get through the northern winters? Share anything that helped you even if you came to the conclusion that moving south was the only solution. Share things that didn't work too.

I'll start with one that hasn't been talked about on this forum and that has helped me a lot which is Indoor Tanning. Yes, going inside one of those tanning beds that cause cancer. In fact yes, staying in the sun or tanning beds which both give off UV light in EXCESSIVE amounts cause cancer. It's like saying water causes drowning. Studies have shown that moderate UV light exposure can actually lower your chance of cancer (of the more common and also deadly forms) and your chance of skin cancer really doesn't go up much. UV light is UV light, meaning if it comes from the sun or a tanning bed it's the same. So yes you can actually get Vitamin D from tanning beds. Someone you can youtube and research is Michael Holick.

I hope I kept that short and sweet and if you're interested you can research this more. Even though tanning has helped I still plan to move from Upstate NY to California. Seasonal depression is mental and physical and seeing the cloudy grey darkness still affects me even with adequate Vitamin D levels and also using light therapy / Sun lamps. I guess there's no substitute for the right environment for YOU.

Share your thoughts
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

luniac

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Dec 7, 2012
1,781
2,811
33
brooklyn
I brace myself and go into my 30 degree backyard and sit in the sun for 15 minutes.
 

Karl Anderson

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
82%
Dec 20, 2017
17
14
29
New York
I brace myself and go into my 30 degree backyard and sit in the sun for 15 minutes.
Probably affecting your circadian rhythm which is one possible cause for SAD. Glad that this helped you.

Also remember that in the winter you cannot get any or very little vitamin D from the sun. So it seems like the like light hitting your eyes is giving you the benefit.
 

luniac

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Dec 7, 2012
1,781
2,811
33
brooklyn
Probably affecting your circadian rhythm which is one possible cause for SAD. Glad that this helped you.

Also remember that in the winter you cannot get any or very little vitamin D from the sun. So it seems like the like light hitting your eyes is giving you the benefit.

i sit outside only in sunny skies, cloudy is pointless.
lol i dont think i have SAD though, i do it for the vitamin D
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Limitless4Life

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
274%
Dec 20, 2016
78
214
29
10,000 IU of vit D per day in the morning

Recommended to me by my doctor who studies this stuff. Ask your doc first though.

Plus fish oil
 
Last edited:

Belphegor

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
300%
Aug 1, 2016
8
24
Oregon
I moved from CA to the Pacific Northwest and I've been trying to improve this for two years.

I picked up a SAD lamp I keep on work desk always running. I got it on a recommendation and it seemed gimmicky, but it works for me and countless others I've met in the PNW.

I also take Vitamin D and Fish Oil but hadn't heard of those for SAD.

Otherwise, get outside whenever the sun comes out and take advantage of any good weather you can.
 

OMDA

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
204%
Dec 21, 2017
255
519
FL
Vitamin D
Fish oil
Sardines or Sprats every now and then
Good meats
Busting my a$$ in the gym (weightlifting + climbing)
Dedicating some time to high quality social interaction
Selectively ignoring negative/whiny/annoying people
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

rogue synthetic

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
310%
Aug 2, 2017
348
1,079
I'll add another recommendation for 5000+ IU doses of Vitamin D along with 6-12g of fish oil.

I spent years fighting seasonal depression (hell, depression any time of the year) before I clued in that I always felt better when I had these two on my daily intake list. I didn't find out until later on that the omega-3s and vitD actually have been shown to do good things for mood in clinical trials.
 

Dunkafelics

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
229%
Jun 12, 2015
318
729
Vancouver, Canada
I don't have SAD, but fully understand the benefits of getting sunlight exposure during the harsh and dreary winters.

I actually just got a Happy Light for Christmas and it has been great! Placebo effect or not, I do think there is value in having it.

I also take a daily dose of Vitamin D in pill form.

I will forever be envious of my Fastlane friends down in the Southern US...
 

MTF

Never give up
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
455%
May 1, 2011
7,560
34,430
i sit outside only in sunny skies, cloudy is pointless.
lol i dont think i have SAD though, i do it for the vitamin D

If you're in NYC as your profile suggests, your body won't produce vitamin D between November and March (source).

As for me, by far the most effective way of dealing with it is practicing sports. If you have nothing fun to do outside of work, it's extremely hard to deal with SAD.

I also use a strong light-therapy lamp (10,000 lux). I take vitamin D (5,000 IU), though I'm not sure if it's making any difference mood-wise. This year I also started focusing more on maintaining a positive attitude and spending time outside even when the weather sucks.

All of this helps, but in the long term, I'm not sure if it's a good way to live if each year you basically spend six months waiting for spring/summer to do do stuff you love doing the most. I still notice a huge, huge difference to my well-being when it's summer (or when I'm in a hot climate) vs when it's winter.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Dunkafelics

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
229%
Jun 12, 2015
318
729
Vancouver, Canada
All of this helps, but in the long term, I'm not sure if it's a good way to live if each year you basically spend six months waiting for spring/summer to do do stuff you love doing the most. I still notice a huge, huge difference to my well-being when it's summer (or when I'm in a hot climate) vs when it's winter.

Great point.

I generally have a positive mindset and get things done business wise.

However there is nothing more frustrating than dealing with grey skies and rain for 5-6 months of the year ... thanks for giving me something to think about!
 

luniac

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Dec 7, 2012
1,781
2,811
33
brooklyn
If you're in NYC as your profile suggests, your body won't produce vitamin D between November and March (source).

As for me, by far the most effective way of dealing with it is practicing sports. If you have nothing fun to do outside of work, it's extremely hard to deal with SAD.

I also use a strong light-therapy lamp (10,000 lux). I take vitamin D (5,000 IU), though I'm not sure if it's making any difference mood-wise. This year I also started focusing more on maintaining a positive attitude and spending time outside even when the weather sucks.

All of this helps, but in the long term, I'm not sure if it's a good way to live if each year you basically spend six months waiting for spring/summer to do do stuff you love doing the most. I still notice a huge, huge difference to my well-being when it's summer (or when I'm in a hot climate) vs when it's winter.

yea i do 1000 jumping jacks every day and other stuff. on cloudy days i agree no vitamin D, but sometimes it's clear skies and the sun feels close to summer strength so i think i get an emergency dose of vitamin D from that.
 

PureA

Winners never quit
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
348%
Dec 24, 2013
810
2,819
29
Bali
I have a SAD lamp (half hour each morning)
D3 5-10k iu
Fish oil
I exercise and gym a lot and this undoubtedly helps but hard to distinguish to what factor as I do this year round.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Karl Anderson

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
82%
Dec 20, 2017
17
14
29
New York
Has everyone noticed immediate benefit or did it take awhile for you to feel a change? Whether it's vitamin D, Fish oil, Sun Lamps, Going outside in the sun in the winter etc.?
 

GMSI7D

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
Jan 27, 2016
992
2,041
47
Lyon, France
Hello everyone who has SAD , Seasonal Depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder .

What has helped you get through the northern winters? Share anything that helped you even if you came to the conclusion that moving south was the only solution. Share things that didn't work too.

I'll start with one that hasn't been talked about on this forum and that has helped me a lot which is Indoor Tanning. Yes, going inside one of those tanning beds that cause cancer. In fact yes, staying in the sun or tanning beds which both give off UV light in EXCESSIVE amounts cause cancer. It's like saying water causes drowning. Studies have shown that moderate UV light exposure can actually lower your chance of cancer (of the more common and also deadly forms) and your chance of skin cancer really doesn't go up much. UV light is UV light, meaning if it comes from the sun or a tanning bed it's the same. So yes you can actually get Vitamin D from tanning beds. Someone you can youtube and research is Michael Holick.

I hope I kept that short and sweet and if you're interested you can research this more. Even though tanning has helped I still plan to move from Upstate NY to California. Seasonal depression is mental and physical and seeing the cloudy grey darkness still affects me even with adequate Vitamin D levels and also using light therapy / Sun lamps. I guess there's no substitute for the right environment for YOU.

Share your thoughts



thanks

a habit i follow with great benfit is barefoot walking and tree hugging

this is not some old hippie BS. i don't endorse stupidity in my life.

we are talking seriously here.i have done research.


the khi energy has to flow in you. you have to eliminate electromagnetic energy in you ( because of TV , smartphone , all that modern crap ) with the help of nature.

so the yang part can balance your body.

that kind of things :


health-benefits-of-barefoot-walking.jpg




.
 

Ninjakid

Platinum Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
217%
Jun 23, 2014
1,936
4,206
Buddy Guy Eh
Just go out in the sun for a little bit every day. Like 20 minutes. I like in what wouldn't be called the sunniest place in the world, but there's still some sunshine, you just gotta go out and find it.

Becoming a morning person definitely helped, because you get to be active during those hours where there's sun.

Make sure you wear sunblock, even in the winter. UV rays are quite damaging to your skin, and now that the Ozone layer has been depleted, we're exposed to it more than ever.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MTF

Never give up
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
455%
May 1, 2011
7,560
34,430
Has everyone noticed immediate benefit or did it take awhile for you to feel a change? Whether it's vitamin D, Fish oil, Sun Lamps, Going outside in the sun in the winter etc.?

Vitamin D - not sure if it's working at all. I feel pretty much the same whether I take it or not (but that might be incorrect because I often travel to sunny places during winter)

Fish oil - I don't take it, but I'd assume that like with vitamin D it probably takes time to build up in your organism.

Sun lamp - it might feel a bit weird in the beginning but actually as far as I remember I felt better almost immediately. For me, the best combination is early morning, tea, and a sun lamp (though in sometimes also use it in the afternoon or evening to sort of prolong daylight).

Going outside in the sun in the winter - as long as you're dressed properly (i.e. you aren't cold) and go to some kind of a natural setting it works almost instantly. Urban settings don't really make much of a difference for me (I actually think that sometimes they might be even more depressing than staying inside); while spending time in a forest makes a huge difference.
 

OMDA

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
204%
Dec 21, 2017
255
519
FL
Vitamin D pills seem to affect me on the order of a week or 2. It takes a week of not daily dosing to come to the realization that my emotional state and energy is lower.

Getting sunlight is almost a same day mood lifter, on the other hand.

The only other regular supplement I take is creatine and I notice a difference in mental acuity in about 15 mins.
 

luniac

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Dec 7, 2012
1,781
2,811
33
brooklyn
thanks

a habit i follow with great benfit is barefoot walking and tree hugging

this is not some old hippie BS. i don't endorse stupidity in my life.

we are talking seriously here.i have done research.


the khi energy has to flow in you. you have to eliminate electromagnetic energy in you ( because of TV , smartphone , all that modern crap ) with the help of nature.

so the yang part can balance your body.

that kind of things :


View attachment 17557




.

I've read bout this before, not convinced yet regarding electromagnetic energy and Qi comin up from the grass.
Maybe its a placebo effect, purely psychological benefits.
spending an hour in nature after 8 hours in an office has got to be mentally helpful.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

luniac

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
158%
Dec 7, 2012
1,781
2,811
33
brooklyn
I sold my businesses in Nebraska & Kansas, loaded up the van and headed to Texas. Cured in 1 day! :)

yes when i finally succeed im moving from brooklyn new york to miami florida and buying a beach house.
 

Karl Anderson

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
82%
Dec 20, 2017
17
14
29
New York
Hello everyone! Thanks for all your responses. I recently found a interesting treatment for SAD. I've been researching SAD for months now and I haven't read anything about this on the main search results via youtube or google, until I stumbled upon videos on INFRARED SAUNAS. Supposedly there are tons of health benefits including energizing your mitochondria (the batteries of your cells).

When I realized it was clear that I felt worlds better in the sun I started to look towards light. I got a full spectrum light box- minimal improvement. I even went to tanning beds for the UV light which produces Vitamin D - I really thought I was onto something but with minimal improvement. I also megadosed with Vitamin D for a week (50,000 iu/day)- minimal improvement.

Then I found out that UV light isn't the only light the Sun puts off. There are also Infrared Wavelengths which your cells actually make energy from. (if anyone's ever heard of "Breatharians" who live off the suns energy for months on end with no food...well once you look into the science it doesn't seem too wack-o now.)

Here's a link where someone talks about using an infrared heater to treat SAD with great results. An amazing new treatment for SAD | Mental Health | Patient

I would look at Wendy Myers Youtube channel and listen to her videos on infrared saunas. She talks a lot about heavy metals also and how they cause fatigue but also infrared light. I would also recommend her book "limitless energy" (talks mostly about heavy metals but also infrared light).

Also research "Gerald Pollack". He talks about how water changes when exposed to light. And we're mostly water so you can begin to connect the dots.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9UC0chfXcg


From what I've read you can buy Near Infrared Bulbs and make your own sauna or just use one bulb to try it out ($10-25/per bulb), which is what I'm going to do. I will definitely report back to this thread with results.

I did go to a Far Infrared Sauna at a health center (you can find them locally at spas, sometimes gyms as well. Just do a google search: Infrared Sauna Pod Near Me) and I did feel really good after. The next day I got so much work done without getting tired. The following day I feel back into feeling tired and sluggish - this is without going to the far infrared sauna (2 days after). I'll definitely have to rule out the placebo effect but this seems promising.

Also note that many people are saying that Near Infrared Light is better than Far. Its simply just a different wavelength. Near Infrared is supposed to be the most healing.

Here's another article Healing the Body With Photobiomodulation

Just recently found out about this and wanted to let you all know about it. Hope it helps someone and their dreams come true.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

TonyStark

I'm not dead yet
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
191%
Jul 20, 2015
2,278
4,359
31
Austin, Texas
Getting out of my comfort zone.

The cold here in Texas right now makes it easy to stay indoors, but when it starts to feel toxic, I pack up my stuff and take my business outdoors or far away from home.

Sure gets your mind focused on the now, instead of the “what ifs”.
 

jpn

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
286%
May 6, 2017
166
475
Netherlands
Started Vitamine D (1000 IU's), omega 3 (EPA & DHA 1200 mgs) daily and regular weightlifting. Depression symptoms were gone in a day or 2. Still sleeping a lot longer in the winter 9-10 hours, but at least not depressed or anxious anymore during the day.
 

vth

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
259%
Feb 18, 2018
41
106
35
Phoenix, AZ
I suffered from this and honestly I can say vitamin d, good lighting, going outside etc - none of it worked. My experience was that all of these were band aids on a broken leg.
Moved to Arizona and the overall quality of my life shot through the roof. Been here for many years and never looked back.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Karl Anderson

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
82%
Dec 20, 2017
17
14
29
New York
I suffered from this and honestly I can say vitamin d, good lighting, going outside etc - none of it worked. My experience was that all of these were band aids on a broken leg.
Moved to Arizona and the overall quality of my life shot through the roof. Been here for many years and never looked back.
I agree. It's like try to cope at a job you hate...the solution is to leave and go somewhere else. Yeah I'm moving out west to California before next winter.
 

Supa

Came for the $. Stayed for the Ice Cream.
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
289%
May 27, 2015
966
2,793
32
Germany
Vitamin D didn‘t change much for me tbh. And even if I felt a bit better after taking it, I‘m not sure if it‘s a Placebo thing.

Cold weather is not really the problem for me. It‘s the days on days without one shine of the sun.

So I try to cherish every sunny winter day, using my change in mood to get back into a positive state of mind or strengthen it.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn‘t.

But since I‘m fighting OCD too, it‘s not always easy to say what is causing my mood drops. The lack of sun doesn‘t help either way, while a sunny day almost always does help my mood for a few days.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MTF

Never give up
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
455%
May 1, 2011
7,560
34,430
@vth, I suspect that I'm a similar case. I can feel okay during fall/winter, but never even half as good as during the summer. Tried a lot of things, some helped a little, but overall, as much as it pains me to move away from family/friends, eventually I'll probably have to do it, too.

How was it for you when it comes to dealing with living away from everybody you know? Do you still maintain close relationships with people from your old location or did you move on?
 

Knugs

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
181%
Jan 10, 2016
345
624
33
Vitamin D didn‘t change much for me tbh. And even if I felt a bit better after taking it, I‘m not sure if it‘s a Placebo thing.

Cold weather is not really the problem for me. It‘s the days on days without one shine of the sun.

So I try to cherish every sunny winter day, using my change in mood to get back into a positive state of mind or strengthen it.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn‘t.

But since I‘m fighting OCD too, it‘s not always easy to say what is causing my mood drops. The lack of sun doesn‘t help either way, while a sunny day almost always does help my mood for a few days.
@vth, I suspect that I'm a similar case. I can feel okay during fall/winter, but never even half as good as during the summer. Tried a lot of things, some helped a little, but overall, as much as it pains me to move away from family/friends, eventually I'll probably have to do it, too.

How was it for you when it comes to dealing with living away from everybody you know? Do you still maintain close relationships with people from your old location or did you move on?

I measure my patients Vitamin D first and give them a big one off dose before commencing on a regular 10k/week (depending on severity)
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top