You can now borrow a Wintering Well Kit from Orkney Library & Archive which could offer help to people who struggle with the darker months of the year. Winter can be a tough time when the sun only rises for a few hours each day and the lack of natural sunlight can make things feel like a bit of a struggle.
If you or someone you know struggles during the winter months then you can borrow a FREE Wintering Well Kit containing a portable plug-in therapy lamp to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by simulating the sunlight which is in short supply during the winter months. The kit also contains information, a guidebook and access to a FREE online course which has been specifically designed to support people who are affected by SAD.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a state that can be debilitating and limiting, resulting in emotional challenges, lowered mood, and feelings of anxiety in the autumn and winter months. Not everyone has a SAD diagnosis but there are many people who feel deeply affected by months of low light.
There is also a SAD lamp set up at Orkney Library & Archive and Stromness Library so anyone can go in at any time we are open and enjoy some simulated sunlight.
The Wintering Well Kits can be reserved online and can be collected from Orkney Library & Archive, Stromness Library and the Mobile Library. Just go to https://orkney.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/WPAC/HOME and search ‘wintering well.’
You can also reserve them in the libraries or by contacting us on 01856 873166 or emailing library@orkney.gov.uk.
This is a partnership project between Orkney Library, and the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
You can access more resources to help with Wintering Well at the University of Glasgow website.