Destigmatizing Winter Depression in Black Academic Space

In Black academic culture, strength is often celebrated while suffering is quietly minimized. Many Black undergraduates and graduate students internalize the belief that they must push through exhaustion, sadness, or burnout to survive, especially when opportunities feel rare, conditional, or hard-won (Fleming et al., 2021; Smith et al., 2019). But needing support does not negate brilliance.

Winter depression among Black scholars deserves to be named without shame, particularly because it exists at the intersection of multiple, layered stressors. These include racialized imposter syndrome (Pope et al., 2018), the paradox of being hypervisible yet invisible in predominantly white academic spaces (Allen et al., 2020), chronic vigilance against microaggressions (Sue et al., 2007), and generational pressure to “make it” at all costs (Ferguson et al., 2022). When these realities converge during darker, colder months, emotional and physical fatigue is not a failure; it is a signal. Acknowledging winter depression, then, becomes an act of self-preservation and resistance.

Staying Vigilant With Self-Care as a Black Scholar

For Black undergraduates and graduate students, self-care is not indulgent; it is strategic, necessary, and life-sustaining (Watkins et al., 2018).

1. Use Light as Academic Survival

Morning light exposure supports focus, memory, and emotional regulation (Golden et al., 2005). Try taking morning walks before classes or research sessions, sitting near windows while reading or writing, or using light therapy lamps in the early morning or during late-night study blocks. Light is not a luxury; it is a cognitive resource.

2. Reclaim Movement as Grounding, Not Productivity

Your body holds stress from racialized pressures, deadlines, and constant performance expectations. Gentle movement can release this tension and restore mental clarity (Hooker et al., 2021). Walk campus intentionally, stretch between reading sessions, or engage in light exercise not to optimize, but to regulate.

3. Create Boundaries With Academic Overwork

Winter is not the season for constant output. Build “low-demand” days, allow yourself to rest without justification, and resist the myth that suffering equals scholarly worth (Fleming et al., 2021). You are allowed to be a brilliant scholar and a tired human at the same time.

4. Seek Black-Affirming Support Spaces

Isolation is one of the most significant risks for Black students during winter (Harper & Davis, 2012). Connect with Black student organizations, affinity groups, mentors who understand racialized academic stress, or peers who will not minimize your experience. Community is not only care; it is protection.

A Final Word to Black Undergraduates and Graduate Students

Winter depression does not mean you are failing your program.It does not mean you are ungrateful for access.It does not mean you are less capable, less committed, or less deserving.

It means your body is asking you to slow down, soften, and tend to yourself while navigating systems that were never built with your wellness in mind (Watkins et al., 2018).

Choosing care is choosing longevity. Choosing rest is choosing survival. Choosing light, both literally and metaphorically, is choosing yourself.

You deserve to thrive, not just endure.

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References

Allen, W. R., Bonous-Hammarth, M., & Teranishi, R. T. (2020). The Black student experience in predominantly white institutions. Journal of College Student Development, 61(2), 123–139.

Ferguson, L., Smith, J., & Brown, K. (2022). Generational pressure and mental health outcomes among Black graduate students. Journal of Black Psychology, 48(1), 5–25.

Fleming, J., Garcia, J., & Parker, M. (2021). Stress and resilience in Black undergraduate populations. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(3), 321–332.

Golden, R. N., Gaynes, B. N., Ekstrom, R. D., et al. (2005). The efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders: A review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(4), 656–662.

Harper, S. R., & Davis, C. H. (2012). They (don’t) care about education: African American male students’ experiences at predominantly white campuses. Journal of Negro Education, 81(2), 121–134.

Hooker, K., McAdams, D., & Smith, T. (2021). Physical activity and mental health: Implications for college students. Journal of American College Health, 69(6), 594–602.

Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A. L., & Mueller, J. A. (2018). Multicultural competence in student affairs. Jossey-Bass.

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., et al. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286.

Watkins, D. C., Green, B. L., Goodwill, J. R., & Guidry, J. J. (2018). Depression and mental health care among African American college students: The impact of self-care practices. Journal of Black Studies, 49(2), 123–139.