Frank Barnhill, M.D.

While working in one of my grandfather’s amusement parks in the 1970’s, it was often pointed out that some employees just seemed to slow down in late August or early September.  This fact always frustrated the general manager, as he felt our goal of 100% guest satisfaction was not being met when nearly all the park’s crews acted like they were slogging through mud.  Their sudden change was especially hard to accept since only six to eight weeks earlier, each had displayed energy to spare.  Now, it was hard to get them to arrive at work on time, costumed characters were found napping, and no one volunteered for the “fun jobs”.  Of course I wasn’t a doctor at the time, and didn’t understand brain chemical levels, much less what they had to do with changes in the seasons.

If we’d made these observations in the past ten years, the diagnosis would be simple.  A lot of our crew were suffering from seasonal affective disorder or SAD for short.  Their brain neurotransmitters were simply responding to a change in seasons and the timing and intensity of sunlight exposure.  SAD is very common in Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada, and just about anywhere that a person’s daily exposure to sunlight becomes limited.  In simple terms, sunlight enters a person’s eyes and stimulates the human brain to make certain chemicals called neurotransmitters.  These chemicals are responsible for processing, transmitting and storing input, as well as promoting a person’s general feeling of well being.  So, when insufficient quantities are made, people tend to become a little forgetful, unorganized, irritable, moody, and in general tend to slow down.  If adequate sunlight is not available after a few days, a form of depression can start to develop.  We’ve all known friends who were happy as long as the sun was shining and then suddenly became blue on rainy days.  It is true that sunlight definitely affects the way you feel and act.  That’s why some of your friends decided to move to Arizona or Palm Springs and call monthly to let you know how great they feel.  Ok, now that we understand the problem, let’s explore ways to help prevent what I have coined “seasonal burn out”.

Since a person’s exposure to sunlight is the principal culprit in SAD, the following tips may be of use to you and employees alike.

• Try to stand in early morning sunlight for at least thirty minutes before work or early in the workday when possible.  When such is not possible, special fluorescent lamps, which emit radiation similar to sunlight, are available through most hardware stores.  I use a unit of four two-foot lamps to shave by.
  
   
• Use timers to turn on a lot of lights in the house so you don’t awaken in the dark.  They should be set for about five to ten minutes before you plan to awake.  Literally, the more lamp power you use, the better.
  
   
• Change work hours to match daylight savings time changes.  When time falls back to allow more working daylight in the afternoon, simply shift hours to match.  By allowing work-starting times to be later, there’s a good chance the sun will be up when you’re up.  Just reverse the trend in the spring, to get similar results.  “Actively repaint” work areas in bright daylight colors.  Dark colors and soft pastels tend to tranquillize and decrease productivity.  Use caution, because too many very vibrant colors may cause irritability.  Consider consulting an environmental interior decorator.
  
   
• Take or give sunlight breaks during the workday or consider installing those solar lamps through out the work area.  Sometimes skylights work just as well, depending on the weather.  In the theme parks, we started having exercise breaks in sunlight in rotating areas twice a day.

• Balance your caffeine intake so that you don’t lie awake half the night.  Such a toss and turn scenario produces the equivalent of a mini-jet lag that catches up with you over the next thirty-six hours.
  
   
• Watch what you eat for lunch.  A heavy meal with a lot of fatty content and sugar makes the brain sluggish for the rest of the day and causes fatigue.
  
   
• Get to bed at least one hour earlier in the winter.  Darkness and cold stimulate the brain to go into the sleep mode or hibernate.  If you satisfy your brain’s natural urges, then fatigue may improve.
  
   
• Exercise on a regular basis.  All of us tend to be more active during the summer months and the brain associates this higher activity level with sunlight.  Maybe you can actually fake your brain into believing it’s just a cloudy July afternoon.

Well, hopefully, I’ve stimulated your imagination in the pursuit of productivity.  If you have any suggestions you’d like to add to the list, please drop me an e-mail at drfrank@drhuggiebear.com.