Seasonal Depression. What is it? How do you deal with it? Let’s talk about it.
As the temperature drops, it can become second nature to dwell in the sadness of the winter blues that spread from person to person. It’s so easy to compare the winter to the summer, and then feel stuck wondering how you will possibly make it through the cold months. When it’s summertime, everyone is thriving, the energy is just different, and the weather is great. All concerns and stressors can easily fade away. On the other hand, the winter is cold, the sun goes down (aggressively) early, and the energy everyone is giving off is just.. sad.
I used to perceive the summer as “my time”, my time to finally feel happy, and live my best life.
But in reality that’s not true and that never happens. My problems are still there. In the summer
it’s just easier to forget them.
When I think of the winter, it’s a time where I can slack off, a time where I can feel sad and dwell in my thoughts. It’s like I put my happy emotions to a halt. Acknowledging that there is a little bit of a disconnect here is important. Just because the weather is bad in the winter, and the sun goes down earlier, doesn’t mean I have a right to make myself feel miserable. This winter, I have worked on ways to make myself feel a little bit less miserable when I am having a rough day. Although I want to scratch my eyes out trying to be positive and trying to get rid of those stress filled emotions, those emotions eventually fade, and knowing how to get rid of them is important.
There can be nothing worse than trying to have a productive day when all you want to do is lay in bed and dwell in your sadness. But, doing the exact opposite of that is actually what helps me feel better. It may sound easier said than done but it’s true. If I am having a bad day, the thought of all of my responsibilities piling up makes me want to have an even bigger breakdown (than is already anticipated). I know I don’t want to feel that way at all, so I purposefully try to get myself up and moving throughout the day in order to get myself back into the groove. That could include taking a minute to talk and convince myself that I can and will get through the day.
Knowing yourself, recognizing your thought processes, and stopping the actions and thoughts that put you down a deeper rabbit hole can be beneficial to living a happy life. I know myself a pretty good amount after a lot of self-reflection (mainly journaling) and paying attention to my feelings. If you know why you feel a certain way,
and you know how to ease that emotion, it almost feels like a relief. Although it doesn’t go as planned every time you try and ease those uncomfortable feelings, at least you can recognize them. If we all continue to look at the winter as a time of sadness, and dread, we will never feel satisfied during a good chunk of the year.
When you think of winter, immediately so many bad feelings come flooding in. So first things first, shift that association, and making sure you have all the tools you need to get through the winter. That could include taking a relaxing bath, treating yourself to some chocolate, watching your favorite show with a friend, and so much more.
I used to be the type of person to talk myself into the worst mood, and try to prove to myself that life is hard. However, this never really helped anything and I was just telling myself how to feel. Now, I am trying to reverse that by acknowledging and appreciating all the good filled in my days.
If you look for all the bad in this world, you will easily find it. But, if you also try and look for the good, you might be surprised at what you find. When I began to shift my mindset, I was honestly shocked to see that there are some good things out there. If you are currently in school right now, I recommend taking advantage of everything your college offers, whether it’s a club, or out of school event, just being a part of something can make you feel that much better. Even if whatever you might try isn’t for you, you will just be satisfied in the fact that you tried something new.
The days can feel long and dreadful in the winter, but taking everything day by day, and incorporating rewards for yourself after hard days is beneficial.
Having a support system can also be the best thing to ease the emotions that come with the seasonal blues, as trying to put everything on your plate and putting on a tough face never works out. Having someone to talk to can make you feel validated for how you are feeling and less alone.
As each day goes by, the closer summer is. Try and have things to look forward to and know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.