By Comet Ziemer
As the sky gets dimmer and the weather gets colder, many people start to experience the phenomenon known as “seasonal depression”. It’s a very common thing that starts to take hold of people in the colder months. That looming feeling of sadness and tiredness can stop someone in their tracks. It can take someone by surprise and make them not quite sure how to react and work through what they are dealing with. But don’t worry, because I’m going to show you some ways that you can work through your seasonal depression and make these upcoming months better for you and the millions of other people who also deal with it.
- Enjoy The Sun When It’s Out!
The main cause of seasonal depression is the lack of sunlight. According to an article by Healthline, increased exposure to sunlight helps your brain release the chemical known as serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for boosting your mood and helping you feel more focused. Taking in a balanced amount of sunlight when it is available can help you get your mood back to a more happy level. And even if it doesn’t make you happier, a good walk outside never hurts anyone.
- Talk To A Therapist or Counselor.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, many more people have turned to therapy as an outlet to talk about whatever struggles they might be going through. A therapist is someone that you can talk to about your mental health, family life, school struggles, or just how your day went. And if you can’t afford proper medical therapy, you can always talk to school counselors about how you’re feeling.
- Be Open With Those Around You.
I know that it can be terrifying to be open with your emotions around your friends and family. You might see yourself as someone who doesn’t “have a reason” to be sad. But I’m here to tell you that if you feel sad, no one can argue with you about what your feelings are. You don’t ever have to tell people things you don’t want them to know. But it is important to be open about what you need from those around you. Telling your friends that you are going through a hard time and need some more patience or space can make it easier for them to give you what you need. Failure to have this kind of communication can lead to people feeling distant or ignored, which causes problems in the future if they don’t talk about it.
- Take It Easy!
If you know that you are going through a hard time, the last thing you should be doing is pushing yourself. Flooding yourself with work or activities to try and avoid what you are feeling causes more harm than good. While you may feel some momentary relief from your sadness, it will only come back twice as hard and start a never ending cycle until your emotions bubble over and you crash. Listen to what your body needs. If you need a day to just stay home and relax in order to recuperate, you should do that without feeling any stress or shame. Or if you need that extra day off in order to do things you have been avoiding, that can make your mental load for the future feel much better.
- Remember That You Aren’t Alone.
Seasonal depression affects millions of people for about 40% of the year. It is incredibly likely that the people sitting next to you in school or at work may be going through the same thing you are. You aren’t the first person in the world to feel like this, and you won’t be the last. And even if you don’t know anyone who is going through these emotions, you surely have people in your life who will let you talk about anything you might need and be open to making your life easier.
Seasonal depression is something that can be really terrifying if you don’t know what to do. But knowing that you aren’t alone in what you are going through and that there are ways you can be helped is the first step to making your life easier.
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