Possible relief from grey days on Thursday with some sunlight in the forecast

If you are feeling a little low energy, it might not be the typical post-holiday blues that has you down. Toronto and the GTA has been blanketed by mostly grey and miserable weather over the last few weeks and there is some relief in sight.

Steven Flisfeder, a Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada, says after over several days of grey skies, there is a chance of some sunlight on Thursday.

“We’re expecting a cold front to push across southern Ontario some time tomorrow, which is going to give a chance for some sun. Not that much is expected. There is still going to be some lingering cloud, but there should be some parts of the day where we do see some sunshine.”

But he adds it’s not unusual to see this many grey days during this time of year.

“In late December, January, we tend to have a fairly active bit of weather. So a lot of low pressure systems coming through the southern Ontario region, which gives a lot of precipitation, typically, but also has the effect of bringing a lot of cloud with it,” said Filsfeder.

It’s important to make sure you do expose yourself to some sunlight as it helps alleviate some of the symptoms of what a psychiatrist at CAMH calls the “seasonal blues,” something one-third of Canadians experience from in the winter months.

Dr. Michael Mak, a sleep medicine specialist and psychiatrist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) said some people are even more affected by the lack of sun.

“Particularly when it’s very gloomy and overcast, we know that actually makes people’s mood worse. Light exposure is actually an antidote for that. So if a person doesn’t have enough light exposure, it’s overcast all the time and it’s dark out.”

Around three to five per cent of Canadians suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs when there’s less natural light.

“The symptoms include, decreased sleep, poor concentration, low levels of energy, feelings of guilt worthlessness, and in the worst cases, feelings that life isn’t worth continuing,” said Dr. Mak.

The best way to alleviate it is to expose yourself to bright light. When there’s no sunlight, there are specialized lights you can buy that will help with a minimum brightness of 10,000 lux.

“That’s a measurement of brightness. And if you expose yourself to that kind of light for half an hour a day, when you wake up in the morning, you’re mood should improve.”

Dr. Mak adds to make sure you stay in contact with friends and family and communicate with each other this time of year.

“If you notice friends, families, and colleagues, withdrawing from social contact, not really engaging in the things that they usually like doing, or they seem sad, it’s a great time to ask them how they’re doing and reach out and offer help if necessary.”