Seasonal Mood | SAD
It's getting to that time of the year where you leave your house in the dark and come back in the dark. Every day just seems greyer and greyer, and it's definitely not helping your mood.
Around winter time my mood is at an all time low and I've noticed this for the past maybe 3 or 4 years now. I feel down all the time and anything can ruin my day. My college/uni work struggles because I'm not motivated, I lose friends and I just feel absolutely shit. As a generally positive person, I feel like it's all my fault. This is also when the overthinking is at it's peak, making me worry about everything I say or do and picking apart all the conversations I have, convincing myself that everyone hates me.Anyone else feel like that recently?
The term to define this feeling is 'SAD' believe it or not. It stands for 'seasonal affective disorder' which is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. Some of the symptoms include: a persistent low mood, a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities, irritability, feeling of despair, guilt or worthlessness, sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning.I have come to accept that around this time I may burst our crying every now-and-then when it all gets too much. As long as you've got some coping mechanisms in place, you go and cry!
So how do we get though this season? The NHS website suggests getting as much natural sunlight as possible and doing some regular exercises. I sometimes go swimming when I'm not feeling like going to the gym, or occasionally meditate to have a moment of calm. Having a small group of close friends that I can always talk to helps me. This is when you notice your true friends, they tend to stick around and help you get through these stages. Moving in with my boyfriend has also been my saviour this season. When I'm having a low day he'll get me some take-away to make me feel better and pour me a bath, he's such a sweetheart! If things do however get more severe definitely go and see your GP. It's always good to chat to someone and they will help you find coping mechanisms to suit you. Don't forget, it's just an imbalance of hormones, it's not you.