Have you ever gotten into a slump with the end of winter fun and festivities? 

Yes, darkening days leaves many people down in the dumps. In fact, a winter-related shift in the mood is a common experience for many people. 

The longer nights and shorter daylight make you feel sluggish. This seasonal form of sadness during winter is commonly term as “winter blues”.

Understanding Winter blue

Shift in a mood by environmental changes is a quite normal phenomenon. Most of the people feel sad during autumn and winter season. 

Persistent low mood, loss of interest in everyday activities, irritability and feeling of worthlessness are some of the common experience during winter days. 

Some people also feel a drop in energy, change in appetite, change in sleep pattern and crave for carb.

It is widely accepted that the climate and season have a profound impact on physical and psychological health of human. From many centuries, it has been observed that changing season has something to do with mental state of people. 

As a human, nothing is more important to us than sun, air and water to sustain life on the Earth. Seasonal fluctuations in these natural elements lead to significant impact on health and psychological well-being of human. 

Lack of adequate daylight during winter season is one of the reasons for winter blues. A growing body of scientific research studies suggests a connection between sunlight and mood. With limited exposure to sunlight in winter days, there is a disturbance in the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin that contributed significantly in regulating mood and sleep-pattern.

Exposure to the sunlight increases release of brain’s hormone “serotonin”. This “happiness hormone” is known to be linked with feeling of contentment and well-being that make a person calm and alert. 

The turnover of serotonin in the brain gets directly affected by an amount of sunlight on any given day. Thus, levels of serotonin are high on brighter days compared to cloudy days. Serotonin is known to have mood lifting benefit that makes the person calm and focused. 

With limited sunlight, serotonin levels start to sink. Low level of serotonin is known to produce sadness, irritation, tiredness and even trigger depression in some people. This may be a probable reason of why we feel sad, lethargic, hopeless and depressed during winter days. It also explains your inability to concentrate, lack of energy, loss of interest  and excessive sleepiness during winter time.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

For some people, winter blue is just an irritating condition that usually clears up on its own. However, for others it is more than sadness and triggers depression, fatigue and anxiety. 

Clinically, this severe form of depression that is noted during winter season is called as “seasonal affective disorder (SAD)”. SAD follow regular pattern and appear each year with the change of a season. 

People with SAD tend to be depressed, withdrawn, lack energy, oversleep and put on weight. The condition gets better after several months, especially during spring and summer.

Overcoming winter blues

Just because you are experiencing sadness doesn’t mean you should not do your routine task. A right planning of a day helps to build a positive framework of mind. Plan your day wisely with focus on family, self-care and office work. 

Spend more time outdoor during a daytime. Get intentionally engaged in outdoor activities such as gardening, nature’s photography, hiking, cycling or any other sports. 

Staying active is important at any season of the year. Engage yourself in regular workout such as walking, yoga, jogging or sport. Regular physical activities help to boost release of hormone endorphin that is effective in improving mood. 

Brighten your home and work place with natural light by opening curtains and rearranging furniture. Allow the sunrays to directly enter your home whenever possible. This helps to relieve sadness associated stress and anxiety.

Develop a self-care plan with more intention on building healthy habits such as healthy diet, workout and sleep. Make a conscious decision to stay away from negative thoughts such as criticism, judgement and overthinking.

Build a positive mindset by focusing more and more on the positive happenings of the life. Always concentrate on things that are within your control and valuable to you. Maintain a healthy inner dialogue to foster right thinking.

Interacting with people and maintaining social contacts boost your mood. Social support is a key component of healthy relationship. It involves a network of family and friends where you can share your feelings. 

A good social interaction reduces feeling of social isolation, loneliness and anxiety. Try to surround yourself with a supportive social circle that help to elevate your mood. Get engage in social activities, so that you can’t feel alone.

Winter blue is generally quite manageable, and better management of daily routine keeps you going.

Disclaimer

Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.