Weather changes can have a great impact on our emotional well-being. Most of us feel blue when it's raining outdoors; however, oddly enough, sunny days can bring dark moods, too. It may seem surprising but there are several reasons for mood swings during spring months.
Fear of Change
Springtime is generally associated with something new - new life, new growth, new beginnings. This inspires some people to seek new experiences but not all of us can gladly embrace change. This primarily concerns highly sensitive people - the constant feeling that something is about to happen can cause anxiety and depression.
Insidious Hormones
During wintertime when the length of the daytime period sufficiently reduces our organism starts to actively produce melatonin - high levels of this hormone make us feel sleepy. However, in the spring season the sun finally popping up over the horizon makes us more dynamic and active but it takes our hormones more time to adapt to new conditions. Therefore, a lot of people suffer from melancholy or even depression every spring when the light comes out.
This condition is called SAD or seasonal affective disorder. Symptoms generally include:
- Disturbed sleep
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Weight loss
- Despondency
Allergens Everywhere
The spring pollen season is a tough time for allergy sufferers. Watery eyes, itchy throat sneezing - these symptoms can turn the life of a person prone to allergies into a nightmare! Indeed it's hard to admire the beauty of nature that wakes up after the dull long winter season if you look at the world through puffy red eyes!
Nostalgia
Springtime is usually associated with bright memories - falling in love, getting married graduating from high school or university. It's in the very nature of the human mind to cherish pleasant memories but as time passes they become more and more distant, so people start to long for the past, therefore feeling blue.
All in all, don't let spring depression bring you down - to boost your spirits:
- avoid staying up too late at night,
- go to sleep at the same time every day,
- consume serotonin-rich foods - a juicy turkey sandwich will definitely help you fight depression,
- and, last but not least, spend more time outdoors!