Want some winter blues? Here are some reasons why | national
With winter comes cold weather, reduced sunlight, and the possibility of feeling a bit down. The winter blues are common and can cause fatigue and mood swings, although they don’t normally interfere with your ability to find pleasure in life. Winter blues normally go away on their own or can be helped exposing yourself to more daylight, taking vitamin D supplements, or adding certain foods like omega-3 fatty acids and protein to your diet.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is more than just winter blues, it’s a form of depression linked to the changing seasons and shorter daylight hours. It occurs in parts of the world where there is less sunlight during specific seasons. This lack of sunlight can disrupt circadian rhythms, which influence our sleep-wake cycle, and cause deficiencies in certain vitamins and hormones in the brain, such as serotonin, which helps regulate mood.
SAD is much more prevalent in the northern latitudes of the world than in southern regions. It usually occurs in late fall and winter. Symptoms include mood swings, fatigue, depression, feelings of hopelessness, and social withdrawal. The link between SAD and light was first identified by researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the early 1980s. . Treatment includes behavioral changes such as increased access to daylight or clinical approaches such as light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as certain antidepressants.
Quoting Studies of Mount Sinai REVOLV study, which was sponsored by See Inc..; the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; the North America Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics; and other health organizations, View has compiled a list of why you might be feeling the winter blues and how you can combat it.