Combatting Seasonal Depression in Kids: Highlighting Seven Ways to Cultivate Happiness

COLUMBUS, Ohio (January 6, 2025) – In the cold winter months, children and teens tend to spend more time indoors rather than venturing outside with friends. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits for mental health in children increase during the winter months. The shorter days, isolation and reduced sunlight can lead to symptoms of depression. To help children shift focus, experts with The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by the behavioral health professionals at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, recommend proactively addressing mental health in kids by highlighting Seven Ways to Cultivate Happiness.

“A way to decrease risk for depression is building our happiness muscles. There are many daily activities to doing this, including behavioral activation,” said Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Behavioral activation means doing things that make you feel good – even when you don’t feel good – activities that connect us to others, help us feel proud of ourselves, or are just simply fun. By doing these activities, kids can feel an improvement to their mood or disrupt negative cycles.”

Dr. Hoet recommends these seven simple ways to cultivate happiness:

• Encourage strong friendships. Children who have strong social connections are more likely to experience positive emotions. Encourage kids to reach out to their friends on days when they can’t physically be together, through a text message or a phone call.
• Take time to be kind. The habit of kindness improves our mood. Be a model for the children in your life by demonstrating the power of kindness by doing something for a family member, friend, neighbor, or teacher. Use mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of noticing the present moment instead of the past or future. Kids can use their five senses to ground themselves in the present moment by taking notice of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch.
• Acknowledge good things. Gratitude is good for mental health and can keep us from getting caught up in what may not be going well. Did your child enjoy sledding earlier in the season? Did they get to bake cookies with grandparents or friends? Helping kids notice things they feel grateful for can encourage them to lean into the positive.
• Set goals. When we have goals to work toward, we feel a sense of purpose and higher motivation, even at times of adversity.
• Move your body. Exercise helps release certain endorphins in the brain which elevate your mood starting shortly after you finish your exercise. Experts recommend letting a child pick a type of movement that they enjoy –stretching, dancing, or playing with pets are examples.
• Tell a joke. Research shows that smiling and laughing communicate to your brain to experience positive emotions. 

Depression may cause sadness, anger, irritability, or hopelessness for two weeks or longer, impacting someone’s ability to function normally. Depression can also make activities and things kids used to enjoy feel less fun and meaningful, making them feel less motivated. Understanding What is Depression? and Talking With Kids About Mental Health can help parents as they navigate these tough moments.

“January often means setting New Year’s resolutions and goals for the year. One important step that comes before goal setting is reflecting on family and individual values,” says Hoet. “Being clear on values can help ground families before setting goals. Research shows that people who set concrete, measurable goals are happier and more successful than people who set abstract goals. Even young children can set goals.”

For more resources, please visit KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org.

The Kids Mental Health Foundation is the leading organization promoting mental health for children in the United States. To achieve its vision to build a world where mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing, more than 1,000 mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in partnership with other trusted experts, provide real-world knowledge and expertise to power the Foundation’s free educational videos, guides and curriculum. Launched in 2018 as The On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, the organization recently expanded its mission as The Kids Mental Health Foundation to reflect the belief that emotional and physical wellbeing should be treated the same. To date, more than 15 million people have engaged with the Foundation’s materials, empowering parents, caregivers, educators, coaches and employers as the guiding force for children’s mental health all across the United States.