It’s that time again; each day, the sun seems to set earlier and earlier at an ever increasing pace (let’s not pretend that we’re awake when it’s rising). Such changes in daylight hours can have quite an impact on us as students at the University of Toronto, in largely negative ways. Seasonal depression is a real thing, and one that can easily affect those who don’t expect it. 

When I was younger, I hardly even noticed the change in daylight hours each year. For the decade I was a student in a K-8 elementary school, my school day lasted from 8:50am to 3:15pm. Even including my walking to and from school, this window was entirely unaffected by changes in daylight hours or daylight savings time. Growing up in car-dependent suburbia, I could not travel on my own without pre-arranged plans and the assistance of my parents, so I largely spent the late afternoons and evenings at home. I would certainly notice that it was pitch black at dinner time in January when the same wasn’t true in June, but it didn’t affect my day to day life much at all.

I started noticing the difference in ninth grade. My high school had an earlier start time of 8:05, and during the depths of winter I left the house to walk to school while the sun was still finishing rising. Some days, it was quite stark; I would walk out from the garage while it was still dark, but by the time I reached the end of my street the sun would be cresting over the townhomes to the southeast of my block. Still, I largely shrugged off this change; after all, school ended earlier, and most after school activities I participated in still allowed me plenty of time to get home before the sun set. 

What really kick-started my increased perception of seasonal daylight changes was when I got a part-time job in eleventh grade. My weekday evening shifts were typically 5:15-10pm, and the differences between the seasons were drastic. In the peak of the summer, it was light out almost until I left; the sun would finish setting well after 9pm. In contrast, it was already dark when I got to work at 5:15 in the winter, about two hours after getting home from school. Once I noticed this change, I couldn’t stop noticing it. 

The pandemic really turned everything upside down, and everyone noticed these seasonal changes less, including me. Not only was nobody going outside, they now had much more freedom to complete tasks at the times they preferred; think scheduling work meetings for the afternoon instead of the morning, or completing household chores during the workday instead of in the evening. Many people were no longer concerned with what time the sun set; they were busy wondering what time it was in the first place. 

For this reason and others, coming to UofT was quite a shock to the system for me. Emerging from the pandemic, classes were once again largely synchronous and in-person. They were also at much more variable times than I was used to. My schedule differed wildly every day, and classes could be anywhere from 9am to 9pm. Leaving for class when it was already dark out was quite a new experience for me, and not one I was particularly fond of. I found that I was less energized in those evening classes and less likely to participate, which affected my learning in a negative way. I especially feel for international students who come from warmer climates where daylight is much more consistent from season to season. At least I had grown up with the Toronto region’s daylight variability, whereas many friends I talked to had no such experience. Even over the span of just the fall semester, the UofT campus loses four hours of daylight from around 13 hours at the beginning of September to just 9 hours after the first week of December. It’s very noticeable, and quite the contrast compared to the consistent 12 hours of daylight in many parts of the world.It also doesn’t help that the school year of September to April is centered almost exactly opposite of the summer solstice in late June, when daylight hours are at their peak. 

Fortunately, there are some ways to mitigate the effects of seasonal depression. Especially during exam season when there aren’t any classes, make sure to start your day sometime in the early to mid morning. Yes, sleeping in is almost unavoidable and is an eternal calling, but even if it’s just a few days per week, try to get up and get your day started. Make an effort to complete tasks that require being outdoors while the sun is still out, such as grocery shopping, in the morning instead of the evening. When you’re studying, take advantage of locations that have natural light during the day, and open the blinds in your room. Despite the fact that it’s getting colder, you can also make an effort to get outside, even if it’s for a short walk between classes or a quick jaunt to a friend’s place. 

Also, take advantage of the winter break to unwind and continue to engage in some outdoor activities with your extra time (or, if you’re lucky, take a trip to somewhere warmer and with longer days). Despite the shortest days occurring during the winter break, the opportunity to connect with family and friends is also an excellent way to help combat seasonal depression, or even just seasonal lethargy. While you may never be able to fully escape the clutches of feeling down as the seasons change, hopefully you can avoid the worst of what winter has to offer.