Winter term at Deerfield brings snow, the outdoor ice rink, and casual dress. However, winter also brings seasonal depression, and Deerfield Academy is no exception. “Seasonal depression” is a colloquial term for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a type of depression that occurs most often during the fall or winter. Director of Counseling, Jennifer Daily, explained the different types of depression that Deerfield sees in the fall and winter. She said, “In the fall term, we tend to see more loneliness and anxiety. In the winter term, we tend to see more fatigue, melees, things like that…We see more of the low mood now than we see at the beginning or end of the year.”
Counselor Daily attributes the main cause of SAD to “less sunlight hours, so [people are] not getting enough sunlight exposure. If we don’t get enough Vitamin D, [people] feel really tired.” Scientific research proves a direct relationship between decreased sun exposure and SAD. Daylight Saving Time in the winter reduces sun exposure, and heavy winter layers further limits sunlight absorption. Head Peer Counselor Anneke Wittink ’25 attributed the cause of SAD to “people having less to do and getting outside less.” She also noted how it can be hard to detect in our peers, saying, “I noticed it a lot more in myself than I notice it in other people.”
However, Counselor Daily said that the effects of SAD are comparatively less severe at a boarding school than a day school. She explained, “Deerfield students actually enjoy a higher level of mental health and well being than an average adolescent.” Two years ago, Deerfield students completed the Climate Survey, a comprehensive survey that evaluates the work environment of an institution, which provided data about which facet of a work environment is excelling at or which facets need improvement. After analyzing the results, Counselor Daily said that “[Deerfield] was better by half in almost every measure. Overall, Deerfield students enjoy a higher level of mental health and well-being [compared to the national average].” Living and studying at boarding school mitigates the lessened exposure to sunlight. Counselor Daily explained, “[At Deerfield], most kids are probably out, not really in their rooms…I think that we have a really well connected student body.”
Nyeema Warren ’27 echoes Counselor Daily as she says “that going outside with friends at a boarding school is a lot more fun and productive rather than me being at my old school and I would have to find a ride to go places with my friends or…to go out of my way to hang out with friends.” Originally from Florida, Warren explains that during her revisit day, “it was extremely cold…[and] I felt the cold blasting on me, which I didn’t like.”
Despite Deerfield students enjoying a higher level of mental health, Wittink said, “[SAD] gets overlooked because there’s just a lot of stressors in people’s lives, like work, relationships, co-curriculars, and lack of sleep. I think that people feel like they have more pressing things to attend to, so it kind of gets pushed to the side.” Wittink said, “For me, that’s just more everyday stress…It’s really hard to compromise sometimes not doing things that are as important as prioritizing your mental health.”
Scientifically, spending time outdoors – in natural sunlight – is an effective way to combat SAD. Both Counselor Daily and Wittink cite more sleep as another strategy to fighting SAD. Wittnick acknowledged how everyday such stressors at Deerfield Academy can cause “a lack of sleep.” Counselor Daily said that, to improve mood, a person should “force yourself to smile for one minute. It feels ridiculous, but smiling for one minute is actually shown to boost your mood.” Wittink advised,“Do things that you actually like, such as being physically active. I like to run, but it’s hard to run outside right now because it’s freezing, but I got to the gym and dance.”
If a student experiencing SAD is not improving after a week or two, Counselor Daily said that the student “is welcome to come talk to us, [counseling], and talking to a counselor once doesn’t mean that you have to talk to a counselor forever.” Wittink said that SAD “gets pushed to the side,” and Counselor Daily advises to “not wait two months [to talk about it]. You don’t have to say ‘it’ll get better after this thing and after that thing,’ but about two weeks is a good time to check in and just see what might be able to help.”
While the daily lives of Deerfield students may cause them to overlook SAD in favor of other priorities, Counselor Daily and Wittink advise students to optimize sleep, maximize sunlight exposure and smile. In spite of everything winter has to offer, Wittink “is excited for the spring.”
