If this winter has proven anything, it’s that the lack of sun truly has an effect on our bodies. Sometimes it’s hard to understand seasonal depression, but it’s much more common than you think. It is proven that a lack of sunshine can reduce our serotonin levels, and coming from someone who is already prescribed SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), let’s just say I really felt the lack of sunlight this winter. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like this winter has been much longer, darker, and colder than usual. The fact that it is snowing almost every day isn’t helping. Oh, and don’t forget the bipolar weather PA has been experiencing; last week it was sunny and in the 60s! Now we’re back down to single digits, extreme wind, and constant snow. Like, are we for real? Can’t it just be spring already? Genuinely, all I need is sun and no snow. Every time the sun shines, I feel a new sense of enjoyment in life!
As I said, it is proven that the lack of sun we experience in the winter has an effect on our mental health. It was even said that “depression and anxiety cases have increased by 25% from 2019 to 2022” (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10277019/). Taking into account that PA is experiencing an incredibly cold and dark winter, it is important to remember that sunlight exposure helps decrease depression symptoms, even if those exposure levels are low. It is better than nothing! “Seasonal increases in sunlight duration are associated with decreases in mental health distress” (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10277019/).
So, now the question becomes how we can help our mental health get back on track for these remaining weeks of winter, and set us up for a successful rest of the spring semester! The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone and that all of your feelings are valid. As we are coming up on spring break, it is the perfect opportunity to reset and focus on improving our mental health! It can also be helpful if anyone is traveling to someplace warm. But even if you are staying in PA, don’t worry. I’ve come up with some great tips that you can do at home!
- Taking A Walk OR Sitting By The Window In The Morning
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First things first, if you are able to get outside in the morning for a walk, it is highly recommended. However, this might be hard because of the extreme cold. If you can’t go for a walk, my next suggestion is to try sitting in the sun (whether it be from inside or outside on your porch) and spend some time in the morning journaling, meditating, preparing your day, reading, or something else relaxing! Try not to get on your phone or other electronics right away. Getting that sun in before anything else will help start your day off right!
- Maintain A Routine
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Okay, this one might be easier said than done. Let’s be honest, who wants to wake up early on spring break? But, maintaining a routine doesn’t always mean waking up super early; it just means trying to get to bed around the same time during the week. Even if you aren’t going to bed/getting up at the same time you would for class, try to make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of restful sleep every night.
It can also be extremely beneficial to make sure you are eating on a similar schedule. Not only this, but making sure you are eating foods that give you protein, iron, and optimum energy to reset your metabolism is important as well. If you are noticing certain food groups/meals are helping you gain more energy throughout the day, try to keep track of this! It can be helpful when you are back at school, and you can meal prep specific meals that you know you like.
- Prepare A Schedule For Studying/Finals
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Again, this one is going to be easier said than done–no one wants to be doing school work or studying over break. With this in mind, some professors might assign you homework/projects (or an exam the first day you’re back, like mine), so it is important to get those done. You can even try to get them done right away while you’re still in a “school-mode” and then can spend the rest of your break not having to worry about it.
Something that may be helpful is to consider how you have been doing your school work and studying over the semester. As you know, after the break, it can get crazy with projects, assignments, exams, and then the inevitable final season. Now, don’t go stressing yourself out over this stuff, but it can be helpful to consider implementing a schedule for yourself. I know that I can get my assignments done in a decent amount of time, but I still struggle with procrastination. I also know that sometimes we want to start studying for an exam ahead of time, but this doesn’t always happen.
A helpful tip I have seen is setting the due dates for assignments to a day or two earlier, so that they are done, and you can ask for help if you need it! This can also give you more time to study for exams. Now, don’t go messing with the date of your exam because that can be extremely confusing, but you can implement studying time into your calendar/daily schedule. A lot of professors recommend studying multiple days in advance, so it can be helpful to add short periods of study time into your routine about a week and a half in advance. As the exam gets closer, you can adjust the study times to make them longer or shorter, depending on how prepared you feel.
- Spend Quality Time With Friends & Family
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Remember, this is your spring BREAK! Make sure you are spending your time relaxing and enjoying the company of others (if you want). Don’t spend time with people who drain you; don’t feel like you are required to hang out with certain people just because you’re home. Being around people who drain your battery will not help your overall mental health. Sometimes it’s hard to go home for break, and sometimes you won’t even see your family, and that’s okay too! Just remember to do what is best for YOU and to surround yourself with people who lift you up instead of bring you down!
Despite my wanting to tell you that doing these things will instantly make you happy, unfortunately, that is not the truth. These are just a few things you can do, and start implementing during your break to help your body reset and adjust after this horrid winter. There are so many other helpful tips that you can find from doctors, therapists, and other trusted professionals to help you gain some serotonin back this winter. Keep pushing, spring break is almost here, and that means that warm weather and sunshine are just around the corner!
And please remember– it is always okay to reach out for help. You are valid in whatever feelings you feel. You are not alone, and you are cared about an immense amount.