Dreading Seasonal Depression? Dig Into Dan Howell’s Book!

YouTuber, Daniel Howell, shares his experience with mental health and offers a refreshing take on how to live with the daily punches of depression and anxiety.

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With the beginning of fall and the ending of Daylight Savings Time just around the corner, the oh-so-lovely feelings of seasonal depression are about to come back in full swing. Whether it feels like the sky is falling or you can’t get rid of the gloomy cloud above your head, there’s one book that can help pull anyone out of the dark.


This isn’t the first time Howell has been in the spotlight for his discussions on mental health. Primarily known for his YouTube channel, Daniel Howell (formerly known as Danisnotonfire), Howell has created dozens of videos detailing his more embarrassing moments in life that will make any audience laugh, while also addressing important subjects like burnout, coming out, and his responsibility as a public figure.

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But in his new book, You Will Get Through This Night, Howell expands on his experience growing up in England, dealing with both internal and external homophobia, and becoming an adult during tumultuous times. In collaboration with clinical psychologists and experts in the field, this book provides what any person struggling with seasonal depression needs. A laugh here, some crying there, and overall, a better knowledge of how they can combat their mental health battles, whatever they may be.

How the Book Differs

What sets this book apart from countless other self-help books, is that there’s no one way to read it. It’s divided into three sections, ‘This Night,’ ‘Tomorrow,’ and ‘The Days After That.’ This doesn’t have to be a book you read from cover to cover.

Feel free to skip to the parts you may need right now, depending on what part of the mental health wave you’re riding.

Daniel Howell

This allows you the freedom to find what works for you. It even encourages the fact that some solutions may not work, and that’s okay. If you’re open to learning about how your mental health works, and what can help you the most, then you’re already on the right path.

Help Right Now

Each part of You Will Get Through This Night has a specific purpose. If you’re looking for immediate solutions when you’re in a negative headspace, the ‘This Night’ portion might be the best for you. ‘This Night’ includes several quick and easy remedies to get back to baseline. These include some grounding exercises, breathing techniques, and breaking down your surroundings using mindfulness. This section’s main purpose is to remind you that the tools to get yourself out of a depressive episode, are already within your grasp.

A New Direction

If you’ve already got a good understanding of what helps you, and you’re looking for more guidance around how to live day-to-day with mental illness, ‘Tomorrow’ will be the most beneficial. Life doesn’t stop for anyone, but it can become easier knowing what affects your mental health the most and implementing small changes in your life.

Since this is the book’s longest section, there are numerous ways you can keep yourself in check while still maintaining a happy lifestyle. Some recommendations are recognizing that your thoughts are not fact, going to environments that you feel safe and happy in, and taking back time by prioritizing what is important to you in the wake of personal responsibilities.

Change is hard and sometimes can feel overwhelming, but even the smallest shift to make you happier and healthier can make all the difference.

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For The Future

The final section, ‘The Days After That,’ focuses on the inner monologue of our minds. Living with mental health illness can take a toll on our bodies and brains over a long period. This part reminds us all that it’s okay to feel upset, but we cannot live in that space forever. By identifying sources of emotional distress, adjusting your mindset to deal with potential stressors, and discovering toxic thinking patterns, getting through the day becomes a lot easier, and in turn, you can finally be fair to yourself when struggling.

There is no one-stop solution for dealing with negative mental health. It’s an individual journey that can take years to fully understand and work through, but You Will Get Through This Night reminds us all that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the darkness won’t last forever. So, even as the days get longer and darker, you still have the strength to carry on and live to see the days that follow.

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