Do you know the fall depression? Often, we don’t realize that seasonal changes force our body to perform an important adjustment process. The lack of sun present in seasons such as autumn or winter, for example, directly affects our mood. Do you have more or less vitality after a week of rain and grey skies?
There are other characteristic factors of autumn that cause us strong knots and mood swings, the most decisive of all is, without a doubt, our attitude towards the transition to winter, how can we reach 100% at the coldest time of the year?
- When fall begins.
- Whether in the Northern Hemisphere (October) or the Southern Hemisphere (March).
- People tend to show various mood swings.
- Although everyone can experience them differently and to varying degrees.
- In general this change in mood.
- Season generates apathy.
- Anhedonia and / or fatigue.
In summer the days are longer and the hours seem to be better spent, in addition, as we usually have a few weeks of holidays to rest and enjoy with our family, we are more relaxed and at peace. less responsibility than the rest of the year, we live without haste and without suffering the monotony and constant stress of daily work.
However, in early autumn this situation changes radically: shorter days, longer nights reduce daylight hours and good weather is replaced by rain and cold.
The drop in temperature invites us to stay home and spend less time outdoors and even to isolate ourselves socially. Similarly, climate change can bring us colds that make us feel weaker and more vulnerable. Seeing the leaves fall from the trees and staying on the ground also conveys nostalgia and sadness.
On the other hand, we usually turn our wardrobe into a personified rigidity, we have gone from wearing light and cheerful clothing to using a range of darker and darker colors.
These external factors, and in particular climate change and the reduction of sunlight, generate a series of hormonal changes that cause our energy to fluctuate throughout the day:
If the mood reduction is very acute and persistent, can we suffer the famous?Autumn depression or “winter”. But don’t worry, this is a temporary situation that can be avoided if appropriate measures are taken.
Symptoms include excessive lack of energy and interest in what surrounds us, discouragement, irritability and moodiness, difficulty falling asleep and concentration problems; in some cases, it is also characterized by strong feelings of loneliness, real or unreal.
These types of mood disorders should be consulted with specialists, but we can improve their symptoms by introducing small changes in the diet and performing certain daily activities.
Nutritionally, it is good to maintain adequate intake of vitamins C and B and minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which are essential for the production of neurotransmitters, plus we can ingest Valerian and passive to relax and increase sleep quality.
Sometimes we think that with the holidays the time we can spend is running out, but that’s a mistake. We must continue to look for these leisure and entertainment spaces and fill ourselves with fun-generating activities, for example, sports. Even if the weather doesn’t allow you to do it outdoors, focusing on something inside is a good way to recover and maintain a positive attitude.
In addition to the body, the well-being of the mind can be cultivated through reading, theater visits, cinema or museums; listen to music, have a good conversation with friends or share a special moment with our partner or children.
Not doing these small activities that make us happy leads to a loss of reinforcements and a gradual increase in our apathy. In the end, this produces a decrease in our mood and high levels of stress.
Post-holiday depression is the state an employee is in when he or she cannot adapt between vacation and return to work.
Their symptoms are very similar to those of otoñal depression, although they may be accompanied by a major physical discomfort, such as muscle pain that contributes to a decrease in performance.
In addition, this syndrome can occur throughout the year, when the person returns from vacation, regardless of the season.
However, the otoñal depression is linked to a specific time of year: the end of summer and the arrival of a new season. On the other hand, post-vaccination syndrome mainly affects young people, usually under the age of 45; while otoñal depression makes the elderly particularly vulnerable.
As you can see, several factors in the fall jeopardize our physical and psychological well-being, but that’s no reason to prevent this season from becoming the best season of the year Learn to enjoy it!