The effects of the nights drawing in
Now the warmer months have come to an end, and Autumn is soon to be over; some people find that their
mood begins to shift along with the season and they struggle to adjust. This change in how you feel can be defined as seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. It’s very common for your mood to be affected by a change in weather ☔️ or temperature, but if it is affecting your everyday life and you are finding it difficult to cope, it may be time to seek help.
SAD has many symptoms similar to depression such as:
⭐️ ongoing low mood
⭐️ feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness
⭐️ becoming teary and easily agitated
⭐️ difficulty concentrating
⭐️ loss of enjoyment and interest
⭐️ low self-esteem
⭐️ being less active than usual
⭐️ withdrawal from social situations
⭐️ feeling stressed and/or anxious
⭐️ having issues with your sleep (sleeping too much)
⭐️ reduced sex drive
⭐️ Increase in your usual appetite
⭐️ feeling lethargic
Although, it also has some more specific characteristics that set it apart. Seasonal affective disorder occurs at certain times of the year due to a change in the season, and is diagnosed if the situation has occurred for at least two years. Despite the fact it can be seen in people during summer 🌞as well as winter, there is much more evidence to support its prevalence and severity in the colder months.
The causes for SAD are generally thought to be to a change in the weather, however other factors come into play when it comes to causing this time dependent depression. In particular, light plays a large role in our mood and for some it makes a bigger difference than others, in fact light has an impact on most things in our lives. The light signals that our brains🧠 receive determine when we sleep and eat, whether we want to take part in an activity and even our body temperature. Ultimately, if we don’t get enough light 🌞 it could mean these natural functions are disrupted, potentially causing a change in mood. Not only does sunlight affect our daily schedules, but it also sets our body clock, a lack of light could change your sleeping patterns and in turn delay your ‘sleep phase’, as a result you could become tired and even depressed. Sleep is vitally important to the human brain and body, it’s when we recover, however we can have too much sleep. Individuals that are affected by SAD often have too much melatonin, a hormone that is produced when it’s dark in order to help us sleep, meaning that its production levels increase in winter. Sleeping too much can lead to feeling exhausted, lacking motivation and generally low mood🙇♀️.
To deal with seasonal affective disorder there are things you can do to make things a little easier. Firstly, it’s essential to talk 🗣 to the people around you, the more they know the more equipped they are to support you during difficult times. It’s also a good idea to plan ahead, if you know you are affected by this disorder try to put things in place to help yourself. This could be anything from preparing meals ahead of time if you think you might not want to cook to making your home more open and filled with light. Make the most of the natural light, although the days may be shorter, it’s important to spend time outdoors when you can, go for a walk, hang out in your 🌳 garden, or if you’re feeling up to it exercise outside. 👟
If you feel you may be suffering with SAD it’s great to do things to help yourself, but it’s also recommended to seek support from a professional. As well as visiting a GP for guidance, hypnotherapy could be a good fit for you. Hypnotherapy is a form of talking therapy that focuses on finding a solution to your problem and looking forward. If this sounds like something that could help you take back control then get in touch. 👍
Visit my website www.hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk
I look forward to helping you get on the right life path.