As the colder months roll in, do you notice that you go through a change as well? Seasonal anxiety is something that happens to individuals everywhere, including students here at Georgia State University. Its symptoms are not limited to one particular person, and it has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.
If you do not fully understand, let me assist you in setting the scene.
The leaves are falling in plaza, the wind is gusting and the next thing you know it is October. It is time for finals and not even the thought of the many homecoming parties excites you. It may even seem as though when the sun is shining across campus, it is still extremely dark. It is like something has shifted without your permission and now you spend so much of your time wondering why.
If this is something that you experience around the same time every year, it is time to evaluate your symptoms.
Seasonal anxiety or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is defined as “a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year.”
Your symptoms seem like clockwork. The heart racing, the sweats, the endless ruminating thoughts, the gut feeling that makes you believe that you are losing control. It happens to the best of us, even some friends who do a great job at hiding it, but don’t shrink into yourself just yet because you are not alone.
As someone in their 20s, it may really seem like things are not going how you would expect. You are a college student, your significant other tries to understand, but they cannot fully wrap themselves in it. Your family thinks that you are just going through a phase and you ultimately feel like a ball of stress ready to unravel at any second.
Here is some advice.
Do not sit in the sadness. Put down the textbooks, stop over-studying as a distraction and take control of your situation. This is the time to be honest with what you are experiencing. Be vocal about your pain whether that means crying, yelling and screaming. Do what you have to just as long as you do not internalize it.
I know that is easier said than done, but I know from experience that it is possible. If you are at a crossroads with your internal fight-or-flight, stick around and fight! No, not a physical fight, but an internal one that can help you combat all of those awful things that you have been feeling.
You know those feelings, the ones that are intangible and so indescribable that it just does not make sense?
Start by going to counseling or therapy. Yes, this counts as self care. There is a lot of stigma surrounding the importance of taking care of your mental health the way we do our physical. Most people believe that if you resort to counseling then you are automatically “crazy”. If someone says that, then they do not fully understand the extent of your condition and also lack the understanding that you were made with just a little extra sauce.
Or if that jump to therapy is a little frightening, get moving! According to the American Psychological Association, “Regular workouts might help people prone to anxiety become less likely to panic when they face full on fight-or-flight sensations.” So whether you like cardio, dance, yoga or intense sessions use that as a mechanism to manage your mood.
You are not required to fight alone, and quite frankly, I would not recommend it.
I do not know a person to date who can combat any type of depressive symptoms without the assistance of another person. Confide in your squad whenever you all meet up on campus or vent in that group chat that is always popping. Even consider joining an organization that will not only take your mind to a better place, but will teach you how to think rationally. I know the cold weather can bring about cold thoughts, but it does not always have to rent space as a tenant in your mind.
The biggest onset when dealing with seasonal anxiety is also the trigger of the approaching holiday season.
Maybe you are not feeling the holiday cheer or have not for a long time. This is the moment when you get up (no matter how difficult it is) and go do something that you enjoy or something out of the ordinary. Volunteering your time is a good way to pull yourself through because it allows you to spend time with a variety of people who in return can teach you a variety of lessons.
I know all too well the isolation and loneliness that comes with this season, but I had to flip this into something positive and view them as growing pains. This is something that I hope you will learn as well.
It is hard, unfair and a little rough because it is something that you did not ask for. However, I want to remind you that with time, practice, patience and self care it does get better. Maybe you are going through this to better yourself or maybe to help someone else.
Whatever the case may be do not let the coldness of the fall and winter months take your joy. Nothing great happens overnight, but with the right time and attention you will be able to turn your season around. Below I have a few tips to get you started when those moods try to creep into your space and hopefully you will develop your own “Self Care To-Do List” from my own!
Tips:
-
Read something positive or relatable! It really helps to show you that you are not alone when there is no one physically around.
-
Verbalize what you are feeling! I cannot say this enough. Say it out loud, then write it down. I literally have pages of my fears, stressors and anxieties in my journals. This is one of the tactics I learned from my therapy sessions that have never failed me.
-
Be open to therapy. Professional help is literally a lifesaver. Georgia State offers Counseling Services included in our tuition, so try to take advantage of that and be open to the experience.
-
See your doctor. You may be experiencing some type of imbalance that can be corrected by changing your diet. I am not an expert, but I know from personal experience that an imbalance is a pivotal part of my journey that I often exclude from my anxiety woes.
-
Try not to be a creature of habit and be like a butterfly. As cheesy as that sounds, hear me out. Do not get set in a routine that does not excite you anymore. Shake it up! Go out and do something that you have been too fearful to do, you will thank yourself later.
-
Plan a trip! Traveling and seeing new places always gets your mind set on that new thing that is coming up and it is even better with the ones you love.
-
Do not be dependent of the things happening around you…even the weather. From opinions that you may not agree with to a cloud in the sky, anxiety triggers are everywhere. Learn yourself and what makes you happy, because in the end you are the most important person in your life.
Last but never least, try not to take everything in life so seriously. I know as anxious people that is hard to do. Try to be receptive to the sweet things life has to offer (free hugs anyone?), because after all it will not always be this bad.
If you or anyone you know is currently struggling with seasonal anxiety or any anxiety disorder that was not mentioned in this article, stop by GSU’s Counseling Services to get exactly what you need. Also check out Georgia State’s newly chartered collegiate chapter of Active Minds, an organization that caters to dismembering the stigma that mental health holds on to.