One of the challenges of the winter months is how to get enough light—both literally and figuratively. We are still a long way from spring, and we need to prepare to fight the tendency toward isolation and depression that comes for many in the wintertime. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is an issue that many individuals experience in winter. Lack of sunlight and cold weather can bring on deep feelings of depression and hopelessness. Even for those of us who don’t have SAD per see, we can still be negatively affected by the dark winter months. For people with eating and body image issues, the cold weather can have an even bigger impact because it is harder to get out to exercise; we become depressed about how we look, and often turn to excess food to comfort ourselves. Adding to the sense of isolation is our current culture of frequently spending time on social media and other electronic communication instead of having real, human interactions. Too often, we see couples or families in restaurants, enjoying a meal “together,” while each member is busy texting on their own individual cell phone. Societal norms present the myth that all this technology is enabling us to connect faster and have better communication. But it is a fallacy—the more time we spend on social media, the less time we actually spend with friends in real time. The more we text, the less we speak to one another. While it is tempting to use social media and tell ourselves we are in connection, we are actually deluding ourselves and increasing our sense of isolation. So how can we break out of this? The first step is to realize that while isolation often leads to loneliness and depression, connection leads to healing. We need to take deliberate steps to get out of our houses and be with other people—whether that is through socializing or through therapeutic Support Groups. There are many ways to get out of isolation. Some of these include the gym, yoga, travel, restaurants, skiing, or even just meeting a friend for drinks or coffee. Attending church or synagogue, or visiting sick friends or relatives is another way to break the isolation. In the age of Netflix and Hulu, it is easy to fall into the trap of staying at home, but if we make the effort to get out, be with friends or join a dedicated Support Group, we can give ourselves the ammunition to fight societal norms that lead to isolation. NY-NJ Eating Disorder Therapy offers Support Groups for individuals experiencing eating issues. Information is available at 212-750-8130 or 732-247-5112.