Don't be so SAD this winter
It's winter. You get up before the sun rises. You read your emails as soon as you wake up. You may be working from home, and although you could out into the sunshine, instead you stare at a screen all day. When you're not in working you compulsively check your phone. You eat lunch at your desk. After dinner, you stare at a screen some more. You spend a lot of time watching TV and movies on your computer and feel giddy when new content is released, but only for a few minutes. Meanwhile, the dishes are piling up. The paint is peeling off the side of your house. Your car has low tire pressure. You need to make a dental appointment. You feel anxious all the time due to a vague yet persistent sense that life is passing you by, but you also feel unable to do anything about it. Plus there’s this global pandemic going on.
If you feel this way, you just might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This malady is caused by a lack of exposure to direct unfiltered sunlight. To cure it, you need exposure to the sun--preferably at least 20 minutes between 10 AM and 2PM. SAD can also have physical ramifications in extreme cases--the sun is the best source of Vitamin D, and you need it in your life daily.
What's this got to do with Mac Tips and Tricks? Nothing. There's no tech solution for sadness. Take three or four days off work and sit in the sun for an hour a day. Do something with your hands that doesn't involve swiping or clicking or typing. Stop worrying. Make a pot of beans. Play an instrument. Be happy.
Okay, I lied. There is something you can do to all your Mac OS X and iOS devices that might help just a little. Go to System Preferences>Displays on your Mac and enable Night Shift. You can read what it does below:
Mac OS X 10.12 and above supports this feature. If your Mac OS is slightly older, you can get the same functionality by downloading the free f.lux app
On your iPad or iPhone, go to Settings>Display and Brightness to do the same for your phone. Just remember that these settings are are not a cure for sadness. But if you get a better night's sleep, you might find the time during the day to eat lunch outside.
