Every year, around the same time, there’s a noticeable change. The days get shorter, the sun sets earlier, and suddenly, the motivation you had just weeks before disappears as quickly as the sun.
One day, you’re leaving class at 5:30 p.m. with the sun shining. Before you know it, you’re walking out of the same classroom into darkness. The plans you were excited about don’t sound as exciting anymore. What sounded fun now feels like a chore, and lying in bed sounds better than anything else.
Fall is finally here. Football is back on television, the air is suddenly crisp, and the holidays are getting closer. Even in Florida, where autumn doesn’t always come with colorful leaves and chilly afternoons, there’s something about the changing seasons that makes this time of year exciting. But somewhere between the excitement of fall and the anticipation of winter, things can start to feel a little different, and there’s actually a reason some people experience these changes around this time of year.
When the Seasons Start to Shift
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), commonly known as seasonal depression, is a form of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months.
As the long summer days fade into long fall nights, daylight becomes more limited. With less sunlight, our bodies’ internal clock, which helps regulate sleep, may become disrupted. Researchers believe these changes may play a part in seasonal depression, which explains why symptoms often begin during the fall and winter.
These changes don’t happen overnight. Sometimes the shift is gradual. You start the season excited about everything to come, but as the weeks pass, you begin noticing your energy isn’t as high as it was before. You might be sleeping more than usual, turning down invitations, or struggling to find motivation for the things you would normally enjoy. According to Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of fall-onset SAD include oversleeping, low energy, changes in appetite, and a loss of interest in everyday activities.
It’s also important to know that everyone has days when they’d rather stay in bed or just cancel plans. However, when these feelings are persistent and begin interfering with your day-to-day life, they deserve attention. Being able to recognize these patterns doesn’t automatically mean you have seasonal depression, but awareness and being mindful of your mental health help.
Finding Ways to Enjoy the Season Again
The good news is that there are ways to help make seasonal depression manageable, even when the shorter days make everything feel more difficult. According to Cleveland Clinic, spending time outside during sunlight, exercising regularly, maintaining routines, and staying connected with loved ones may help during this time. There are also professional treatments one could try, including light therapy, psychotherapy, and medication.
But understanding what could help and actively finding the motivation to do it are completely separate. Some days, getting outside while the sun is shining may be more difficult than others. It’s important to give yourself grace during this time and to celebrate the small wins. It could be planning something with friends, even if that includes doing nothing but sitting around and watching movies in each other’s presence.
The goal isn’t to force yourself to enjoy every moment of the season, or to pretend that it’s not hard to get through. It’s to recognize when you need extra love and support, and find ways to take care of yourself.
Stay Aware, Don’t Disappear
As fall turns into winter, the days continue getting shorter and the evenings begin to feel longer. The excitement of the holidays fills the weeks ahead, but that holly-jolly feeling might not come as easily as it did before.
We can’t control the changing seasons, and we can’t always control how they make us feel. What we can do is recognize when something feels different and remember we don’t have to face these changes alone. The days may be getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean we have to disappear along with the sunlight. Stay aware, take care of yourself, and make room to be present this winter.