Last week, temperatures in South Bend dipped below zero, and wind chills and snow flurries added to the cold temperatures experienced by the community.
The Notre Dame Police Department sent out an advisory reminding everyone to bundle up due to heightened risks of frostbite and hypothermia. With subzero temperatures, frostbite can develop faster and easier on uncovered skin.
The University Counseling Center also warned against Season Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is common during the fall and winter seasons, when the days are shorter. According to the American Psychiatric Association, SAD affects roughly 5% of adults in the United States.
“If a person notices that they experience symptoms of depression that have a significant impact on their ability to function, and they see a pattern of their mood changing at the same time each year, usually as the days start to become shorter, they may be suffering from Season Affective Disorder,” director of the University Counseling Center Christine Conway explains.
Therefore, the Counseling Center took initiatives to offer sun lamps to community members struggling with the weather. These lamps help improve internal circadian rhythms by mimicking sunlight. Additionally, the light from the lamp could increase the production of serotonin, a mood regulator. Known as “Happy Lights,” these boxes of light can be found at the McDonald Center on campus.
Director at the Center for Student Well-Being Sarah Besse reported a large increase in sign-ups in December for the Happy Lights. To promote continued access to the lamps, the center will be hosting a “Happy Light Lounge” Friday, Jan. 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Duncan Student Center Meeting Room 2 North (W246).
At the event students can learn more about the resource, and if interested, check out a light for themselves. The sun lamps will be arranged in a room featuring a variety of activities, including string art, sand art and snacks.
The lamps are available for use in restorative spaces, located on the second floor of St. Liam Hall, or be checked out to use at home.
“It’s not so much the weather that affects our mood, but that it’s the amount of light,” Conway said.
Students shared their experiences with the recent shift in weather.
“I am from Louisiana, so the weather here is very different than what I am used to,” freshman Emily Rowe said. “While it is cold down there during the winter, the weather here is much colder and has definitely been an adjustment for me.”
Many students reported mitigating the amount of time spent outdoors in response to the weather. Freshman Drew Hemmesch is from Minnesota and described feeling well-adapted to the colder temperatures.
“I have followed a similar routine to the winter season at home, but many of my peers have purchased warmer clothes and tried to change the amount they spend outside,” Hemmesch said.
Conway recommends for students who notice symptoms of SAD in themselves to speak with a mental health provider or their primary care physician. She emphasized the center aims to be a safe space for students to discuss a variety of concerns.
