A 5-day trip to a sunny lower-latitude destination can help SAD.

Yes, a short vacation to a lower-latitude place in late winter can provide genuine relief from Seasonal Affective Disorder, but you need to stay at least 4-5 days to see meaningful improvement.

SAD is fundamentally about light – or lack of it. Your brain needs bright, full-spectrum light (especially in the morning) to regulate serotonin and circadian rhythm. Down where you are in late winter, the sun is weak and hours are short. Flying somewhere with proper sunlight can kick-start your system.

Key number: low latitudes. You want to be closer to the equator than your home. Think Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Hawaii, or even the US Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico) – anywhere where winter sunshine is strong and days are longer. Aim for a place where the sun gets decently high in the sky (above 45 degrees altitude) for at least an hour or two.

Duration matters. Research on light therapy and travel suggests that 3 days of consistent bright light exposure can begin shifting mood and circadian rhythms, but 5 days is where most people report a noticeable difference. A long weekend (Thursday night to Monday evening) works. A full week is better. Anything less than 3 days is just a break – you won’t recalibrate.

Practical tips: get outside within an hour of waking and stay there for at least 30–60 minutes without sunglasses (if it’s safe for your eyes), eat lunch outside, and don’t waste daylight in your hotel room. Afternoons near a window are fine but mornings