Fall is a wonderful time. It is the start of three fun holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It feels like most people wait for this time; some created countdowns, some are crushing the falling leaves under their feet, and some are making pumpkin treats.
While Fall is considered a beautiful time for most, it can be draining for others, I know that for myself as well. As Fall is slowly gracing us with crisp air, there are other elements that come into play, for instance, the days are becoming shorter and everything will soon look like a grey hue, the trees will no longer have green foliage, and the fall colors will only stay for so long. With that being said, many others start to become sad during this time, even if they love Autumn or Winter. If you know you are one of those people, you may be aware of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
For those who aren’t aware of this, that is totally fine, and there is nothing to be alarmed about it as it can affect everyone differently. Depending on the severity, it is best to either speak to a professional about this, but many people who have experienced their mood changing with the seasons have managed it as best as they can until the sunnier seasons come along. But I’m here to help and give you a little more insight into what you can do to help during this period of time. Remember to take care of yourself!
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of SAD include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Experiencing changes in appetite or weight
- Having problems with sleep
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Having low energy
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide
However, there are many ways to take care of yourself during this time.
1. Mainting Exercise
Of course, getting your body moving will always have a positive effect on a person physically or mentally. Regardless if you have a gym or not, there is so much you can do still. For instance, going out for a walk with a friend, or seeing nature is always a plus. Some light yoga can help with mindfulness and taking your mind away from whatever is bothering you to what is the present at the moment. This can be a little hard though, getting up and moving your body when you’re feeling low energy, and that is okay because taking your time and giving yourself a little grace is what is needed during this season.
2. Light Therapy
The National Institute of Mental Health notes that light therapy is actually a benefactor in helping those during the darker months. There are special lamps for this that have a brightness of about 10,000 lux, which is brighter than indoor lighting. It is supposed to resemble or act as natural sunlight. Clinicians recommend basking in it for about 30 to 40 minutes a day until the lighter seasons start to come in. Although there are no risk factors, some may want to look into if it is the right treatment for you.
3. SPeak Up
As we can tell, the severity of SAD depends on the person, and sometimes it can be unbearable. It is recommended to speak to a professional; CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy helps. Although therapy can be expensive there are many alternatives that can help as well. As college students, we have counseling and psychological centers at our schools so that helps because it is accessible for us, so don’t be afraid to reach out! More importantly, it is always great to have a wonderful support system around you as well, make sure to talk to someone who you feel will hold your words in confidence. Also, many people aren’t aware there are support hotlines in different cities that are available to you. There are many resources out there, we just have to find them.
4. staying on task
Speaking of college students, it is that period of time where many projects, essays, and major assignments are being assigned to us and it can feel like there is a huge weight. Sometimes it can be challenging to do everything at once; my suggestion is to take twenty minutes to thirty minutes for each task you decide on the day, make sure to split up the workload in the week so you can space it out. If you need more structure, check out The Pomodoro Technique.
5. Stay ACtive, Have fun!
As much as Seasonal Affective Disorder can have a negative effect on us remember there is so much to do during this fall time. Call your siblings, friends, partner, go to a pumpkin patch, have an arts and crafts day, go apple picking, watch fall or Halloween movies, or make cider from scratch. SAD doesn’t have to control you and take the fun away from a beautiful season such as this.
A few things to recap, remember to enjoy the season, create memories, and always take care of yourself. Remember you got this!