The leaves are changing colors and your off-the-shoulder tops are leaving you with goosebumps. Although some people may love the chilly breeze and overload of the flannel, for others, the changing of the seasons can have a different effect.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of mild depression that’s related to the changes in the season. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody (Mayo Clinic). Some symptoms specific to fall or winter onset-SAD are irritability, low energy, appetite changes and hypersensitivity to rejection. The cause of seasonal affective disorder is unknown, but most medical researchers believe it is due to the reduced level of sunlight, which can throw off a body’s chemical levels.
If any of this is relatable to you, THERE IS HOPE! Don’t brush off this yearly feeling as a case of the “winter blues” and tough it out on your own. If anything that can make it worse and lead to increased levels of depression.
There are many steps you can take to keeping your mood and motivation up throughout the PSL season:
1. Make your environment lighter and brighter
Open blinds, pull back curtains, and sit closer to bright windows when at home or in the office. The brightness can take your mind away from dark thoughts and toward a more focused outlook, so making your room sunnier has a positive impact on your mood.
2. Socialize
When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to be social. Make an effort to connect with people you enjoy being around. Invite a friend over, watch some Netflix or study together in the library. Studies show that surrounding yourself with friends and family can reduce depression levels dramatically.
3. Get outside and exercise
Exercise and other types of physical activity help relieve stress and anxiety, both of which are SAD symptoms. If you’re not feeling the yoga class that day, just go outside and sit on a bench, even on cold days outdoor light can help.
4. Take a trip
All work and no play can make anyone feel dull and dreary. Visiting family and friends at home or at other schools can help change scenery and pick up your mood.
So with these tips, SAD can eat it, ladies. Although it is a very mild form of depression, and in most cases, vanishes as soon as spring comes along, it can still affect your mental health which can put a damper on you both socially and academically. Try and take these tips and run with them, and have yourselves a good fall!