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It just got bloody cold. It’s dark when you wake up. The assignments are piling up. Mid-semesters are looming. Do you have the winter blues? Surprise! It’s a real thing. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that hits about 6% of people every winter, especially in places with long nights and short days (hello, Dunedin).

Even if it’s not SAD, everyone feels down now and again, and it’s a bit of a shit place to be. So how can you kick that funk?

Serotonin and dopamine are a couple of chemicals you may have heard of. They’re both neurotransmitters in the brain, and they make you feel happy. Our lives are pretty much spent in the pursuit of these two little molecules – low levels of either can cause depression and other unpleasant diseases. High levels make you feel really good, therefore drugs.

Ever tried ecstasy? That releases a bunch of serotonin into your brain, which is why it’s fun. Some psychedelics like acid “mimic” serotonin by activating the same pathways. Cocaine and amphetamines stop your brain cells storing dopamine, so there’s more floating free in your brain. Unfortunately, the body is good at adjusting. If there are constantly huge amounts of dopamine or serotonin around, then your brain will just get used to it, and that high level will be the new baseline. To get that first rush back, you need to take more and more every time. Also, if your brain is being spoon-fed certain chemicals, it sometimes stops making its own. This means addiction. If you take an addictive drug for a while and then stop, your brain chemicals are thrown totally out of whack – you are used to an unnaturally high level of something, then it crashes to less than it was before. And you feel like shit. So drugs, while fun, aren’t really going to solve your winter blues.

So, what should you do? Basically, just think of the things that make you feel happy, and do that a lot. Music, exercise, sexercise, chocolate, and sun all increase levels of serotonin and/or dopamine. Hugs, not drugs!

Too poor and busy? Want something even easier? Smile. You smile when you’re happy, right? It goes the other way too – you can trick your brain into thinking you’re happy just by smiling. Literally fake it till you make it. High levels of dopamine and serotonin make you smile, and when you smile your brain releases dopamine and serotonin. Oh shit, a vicious cycle of happy! Get amongst! That’s science, bitches.

P.S. Depression and addiction are really complex and serious. If you are concerned about yourself or a friend, please talk to someone or visit Student Health. Ring 0800 479 821 or visit otago.ac.nz/studenthealth.