Getty Images By Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD, LCP ·Updated April 19, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

I was scrolling through IG the other day and whew! Homie in my Harlem neighborhood nailed it. Here he was, frolicking about in his yellow shirt, embodying the feeling scrolled across the top of the video: “When the seasonal depression wears off.”

But what if you’re one of the people who feels like it doesn’t?

For some of us, the grey skies of winter just don’t seem to ease up. You have no doubt heard the proverb “April showers bring May flowers.” The phrase is supposed to remind us that the challenging weather of April is necessary to bring forth the blossoms of May.

If April never feels like it ends though—like the rain just keeps on coming—it may be something other than seasonal depression.

Depressive symptoms, in fact, can come in many forms. And as a licensed clinical psychologist, I’ve seen it in clients I’ve treated – and, to keep it a buck, in myself. 

Let’s go back to the IG video. If you just suffered through the relentless winter (East Coast and Midwest, here’s looking at you), Seasonal Affective Disorder may be the temporary feeling you’re trying to shake this April. We don’t call it SAD for nothing – the gloomy weather of winter brings with it an inability to feel energized, productive, and hopeful. As much as we want to be outside, SAD often suggests you take residence in the corner of your couch instead. 

But, even with May around the corner, it may be hard for some people to see the sunshine. 

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That may be Persistent Depressive Disorder. While PDD often lasts longer than SAD, which is connected more to the winter season, or depression, which takes root after two weeks, it is not as severe. It’s giving Eeyore, the grey character on Winnie the Pooh, who was always tired, fatigued, and believed that things just wouldn’t go his way. 

But if what you feel is a bit more sudden and challenging to overcome, we may be talking about depression. It often feels like a storm cloud that comes overhead that you just can’t seem to outrun. The classic signs to keep an eye out for are low mood, sadness, loss of interest and pleasure in hobbies and activities, and feelings of emptiness. But keep in mind that depression may actually show up differently for us, though. Studies show that Black women, in particular, may have more sleep disturbances and irritability relative to other people experiencing more low affect and sadness. Research also shows that Black people may cope with their depression and related stressors by eating more, not less.

So for this month’s Therapy IRL, you may be asking what you can do to overcome the challenges of April – the cruelest month. 

Here are three things that can support a healthy transition into a brighter season.

See the patterns. I know April is always hellish. So take note: is it often like this for you around this time? Can you better anticipate your calendar next year and plan to get a sun lamp, take a trip to sunshine, or be more mindful of scheduling when April comes along? Prevention can certainly help to boost your mood, as can some good interventions listed below.Be intentional about pleasure. When we think of depression treatments, there are typically behavioral and cognitive components. For behaviors, I want you to think about the things that you can do to bring you pleasure, joy, and happiness. And then—here’s the kicker—you have to do them. It may sound easy to walk around the park, go on a play date with friends, or make that vegan coconut fried shrimp (just me?), but doing it when you’re depressed is a whole other task. Make a list and give one a try this week. Let me know how it goes!Journaling. Now let’s jump into cognitive changes – or things we do for our mind. I really want you to plan for the joy you want and reflect on where you currently are. Does the sky look as blue as it used to? Does your food taste a bit more bland? Are the songs you’re playing a bit too slow? Write it down and take a look at where you are. You don’t have to stay in this funk, so let’s plan what it may look like when you can finally see a break through the clouds. 

Roy Ayers may have declared that “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” but sometimes it can be really hard to believe that those sun->Spring is here. And so am I. 

Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD, LCP, is a licensed clinical and community psychologist, associate professor at Columbia University’s School of Social Work, and affiliate with Harvard’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research and FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. She is a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project in Partnership with National Black Child Development Institute.

TOPICS:  health and wellness seasonal depression

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