March has arrived and Spring has finally sprung. Let us all rejoice in the fact that the snowpocalypse has finally passed, and the summer months are quickly (although not quickly enough) approaching. Guess what else is marked on the calendar this month? The end of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression.
So… what exactly is seasonal depression, and what can we do to hinder it?
It’s a type of depression that’s related to the change in seasons. Typically, people will start feeling gloomy and depressed around November, and their mood will pick up again by the time March rolls around. Although November means stuffing your face with turkey and mashed potatoes, it also means the beginning of winter. Or, as those who suffer from seasonal depression may know it as: the impending doom.
SAD is more common for women between the ages of 15-55 and especially common for those who live far from the equator where winter daylight hours are very short. Sound a little bit like living in Lewisburg as an undergrad? Yup, thought so.
Enough about the case of the winter blues though, because if I didn’t mention it already, the sun is here to stay (at least for a few more months). And in order to shake off the last bits of your seasonal funk, here are ways that you can bask in the sunshine and celebrate:
Take a walk.Whether it’s enjoying every step you take on your walk to class every morning or taking a leisurely walk downtown, make sure you soak in the sun and breathe in the fresh air. During the winter months, everyone is deprived of sunlight, which means that they aren’t getting the Vitamin D that they should be getting. If your body is lacking in levels of Vitamin D, you can easily slip into a funk of depression and moodiness. If you always sleep and still feel tired and only ever want to carbo-load, then you should know exactly what I’m talking about. And finally, take a walk to the Freez. You get tan doing it and get rewarded by ice cream. I mean really, in what other universe is that acceptable and encouraged?
Love everything that Bucknell has to offer.Who wants to be cooped up in the library all day? Lie on the quad and do homework outside. There’s still wifi, and you can enjoy more time with friends. Running out of weekend activities? Try tubing down the Susquehanna River. If you have classes in Olin, walk upstairs when your professor lets you out of class to the Greenhouse and absorb all the nature and sunlight.
Skip the gym, but not the exercise.Staying fit is encouraged year round, but a gym isn’t necessary for that to happen. Leave behind your leggings and whip out your Nike shorts and run around Lewisburg. There are no boundaries and the treadmill machine isn’t limiting you to a certain pace. Or, go hiking on the hiking trails that are a few miles away from campus that are open year-round.