This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Georgia Southern chapter.
It was not long ago that the time change hit us, and for some of us, it takes longer to adapt. Sometimes, this change brings about tiredness and something known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). So, for a student faced with shorter days, hectic schedules, and final exams, SAD can grow into a problem that no one has the energy to cope with.
If you suspect you have SAD, you can use these tips to help you adjust:
1.) Trust your instincts: You have to be honest with yourself. If you’re waking up later, sleepier, less motivated (without any reasonable cause), it’s time to do something. Consider seeing a counselor or see what changes you can make.
2.) Sleep well: Try adjusting to an early sleep schedule and opt to get outside more. Vitamin D supplements or a good hour of sunshine can provide you with a boost of energy to put your body back in balance.
3.) Avoid Darkness: When waking up to bright sunshine isn’t enough, keep a well-lit environment for studying. Shut your curtains and keep lights on to trick your brain into thinking it’s still daylight at 7 p.m. By darkness, I don’t just mean physical darkness but mental darkness as well. It’s important to maintain a healthy mentality and reward yourself for the small things. This is especially true if you’re in a loop of negativity from SAD already: wake up late with no energy, stay late/slow all day, get less done, feel sad, take naps, wake up, go to sleep late, etc.)
4.) Get yourself motivated: You don’t understand your professor, you are overloaded with projects, and you’re at a dead end, so you need something with a payoff. If you like to do something for fun, make it a habit to wake up and do it. Hobbies can be something with a visible reward such as cooking or gaming, or can even be as simple as watching a daily YouTube series; I recommend CerealTime. Also, do not listen to depressing music. This is the ‘breakup’ time of year, so get some upbeat music playing in your head.
5.) Move over SAD: Move. Seriously, it took me mornings of moping over things (like how it took hours to do things that should take minutes) to will myself to getting small workouts in the morning. The key is that when you get moving, your body produces more serotonin to counter the symptoms of SAD. A 30 min. workout to Stevie Wonder usually does the trick.
Final Tips: Since SAD is caused by a biochemical imbalance from shorter days, it’s important to take steps to limit the dark and dreary. All the darkness that helps your fall asleep from melatonin can trick you into wanting to hibernate and carb load. Instead, eat foods high in energy payoff like nuts (Hello Nutella :D). Additionally, find help if you think you have SAD symptoms: decreased energy, moodiness, inability to focus, trouble waking up in the morning, anxiety, or difficulty doing tasks that are normally easy.