Don’t you get a bit nostalgic in winter?
A different kind of sadness surrounds you as you start to wonder about many things in life; things that were lost, things that got left behind in course of time and many other things. Shorter days, less sunlight, cold breeze often left us wondering what is wrong with us. Sometimes you start to justify your sadness by calling it winter blues. Here is the thing, you are absolutely right. Season change affects us. People usually feel more down during colder times. It is very normal for us to feel this way. Why is it normal?
Introducing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Winter blues is clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD). It is a type of depression triggered by the change of seasons. Lack of energy, hypersomnia, feeling lazy and sad can be the symptoms of SAD because symptoms can vary from person to person. Usually people consider “winter blues” as a normal feeling which occurs with the changing of seasons. On the other hand, SAD is a major issue. It affects daily activities and influences your way of feeling and thinking. It is more common to occur in people between 18 to 30 years old. Mostly, it is more common in females. There are two types of SAD in which winter pattern SAD can be often seen in people.
Factors triggering SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder):
There are several factors that trigger SAD. If you are already suffering from bipolar disorder, chronic depression, schizophrenia, it can affect you badly.
Our body maintains a clock that guides us through our everyday life. Our body releases specific hormones at specific times. Our body clock shifts in winter due to less sunlight. The internal clock that regulates our mood gets disturbed which is why we feel out of our daily routine. Because of this, our body experiences chemical imbalance. Neurotransmitters send signals to our nerve system, causing the system to release hormones. Hormones also include serotonin hormones which are known as “Happiness hormones”. Sunlight helps to regulate the serotonin hormones. As winter has short daylight length, serotonin hormone releases less, making us more gloomy.
Sunlight also has a role in producing vitamin D in our body. Vitamin D can boost the serotonin level. Again, less sunlight leads to less vitamin D production which leads to low serotonin levels.
Prevention:
You need to understand that SAD is more than just winter blues. It should be treated by professionals. But we can prevent winter blues by making some changes in our daily routine. By going out and getting the sunlight as much as possible. You can go for a walk or spend some time outside. Try not to stay at home, it can worsen these feelings. You can try exercising regularly. Exercise helps to control the cortisol hormones. Try to keep a healthy diet.
You should keep in mind that winter blues and SAD are very common. Do not feel alone suffering in this. By maintaining proper instructions, one can easily cope up with winter blues. Let the winter be your friend in happiness and enjoy the vacation properly.
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Writer
Ummay Tasnim Sifat
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE