It’s raining outside and you don’t know how to stay positive, steering clear from seasonal depression?

In today’s world, depression affects many of us, and I myself often suffer from seasonal depression. Knowing how hard it is to think positively and to mobilise yourself to perform any type of activity, I have decided to write this post. I will try to tell how I deal with depression and show you that you can live a normal life with this particular” mental dysfunction”.

Read more: It’s raining outside and you don’t know how to stay positive, steering clear from seasonal depression?

What is seasonal depression?

As you know, there are several types of depression. Although I’m not going to talk about depression at the deeper end of psychological disorders, I’d like to tell you a little about seasonal depression, which affects about 70% of the population, including myself. What is seasonal depression?

Specialists call it an affective disorder, which surfaces most often in the winter-autumn period. It causes mood, emotion and activity disorders and lasts at least two weeks. Seasonal depression is cyclical and can occur year after year. As a person who is usually optimistic, I become sleepy and demotivated in the winter seasons. I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t try to stand up to this ailment… As my efforts are bringing great results, I would like to show you that you too can survive this grim period in a more pleasurable way.

Where does seasonal depression come from?

It is believed that the main cause of seasonal depression is the change of seasons (autumn-winter), which is associated with reduced exposure to sunlight (or, in fact, the lack of sunlight). The lack of sufficient sunlight affects the functioning of different structures of our brain and hormones, which are necessary for the proper functioning of our body. This disorder affects us most visibly in the morning. I know myself that if I wake up in the morning and see a dirty-grey sky outside the window, I don’t even want to get out of bed. Scientists explain it by the fact that the human circadian rhythm – of sleeping and wakefulness – is disturbed, which causes an increased production of melatonin (sleep hormone), which makes us tired and sleepy. The level of serotonin, which affects our good mood, also decreases.

Seasonal depression depends largely on the individual predispositions of every person. Some of us have a greater tendency to contract this disorder than others because seasonal affective disorder can be transmitted genetically. This can also be influenced by greater sensitivity and strong stress (death of someone close to you, divorce, loss of a job, etc.). In my case, I know it’s genetically caused because my mother also suffers from SAD. It seems to me, however, that it mainly affects us when negative things happen in our lives, which strongly affect our emotions. Illnesses, failures, and lack of prospects combined with poor weather tend to take away your joy of life.

The consequences of seasonal depression

Similar symptoms are characteristic for all those suffering from this disorder. For me, it’s mostly feeling sleepy and too tired to do anything. I feel like everything I do doesn’t make sense and gives no results, so why bother.

Usually, the symptoms are also accompanied by a lack of appetite, although in my case, the opposite is true. Although I am not hungry, I feel an irresistible need to eat and endlessly snack on sweets. Recently, I realised that my body has sweet cravings because of the endorphins that my brain produces when I gorge on sugary snacks. Endorphins, on the other hand, are a hormone of happiness, so by eating chocolate we can very quickly improve our mood, although unfortunately the results are incredibly short-lasting. The situation is the same with different psychoactive substances such as alcohol and drugs, which is why so many people with an affective disorder use drugs to feel better. In consequence, it’s easy to get addicted to feeling great.

Other symptoms of seasonal depression include

mood swings (sadness, irritability, hyperactivity or joy)

low self-esteem (lack of motivation or appetite for life)

fear of thinking about the future

memory problems and lack of focus

lack of interest in what is happening around us

lack of energy and muscle fatigue (e.g. leg pains)

How to think positively when suffering from depression?

I know that thinking positively when suffering from depression may seem impossible, but I would like to show you that it is achievable. There are many things which can help us survive this difficult period. One of the possibilities is a pharmacological treatment which will make us feel better. 

However, I would like to draw attention to less intrusive ways, such as talking to your loved ones. Whenever I start feeling depressed, I talk about my fears and emotions with my friend – yes, I know, a guy who talks about emotions is not a real guy. He can look at my life from a different perspective, show me all the advantages and my achievements. After talking to him, I always feel better about myself, and I think –

Damn, it’s just that period in my life when I don’t think anything makes sense, but I’ve already achieved so much in my life, and it’ll be fine.

Another way is to write down all the positive aspects of your life on a piece of paper, such as

– I have a job

– I am healthy

– I have a place to live

Sometimes, in order to believe something, we have to see it with our own eyes. Moreover, if you feel tired and stressed, try to plan your holiday, even a short one, for example, at the weekend. This will not only relax you but also free your head of negative thoughts. Try to eliminate factors that badly affect your wellbeing and do not forget that positive thinking attracts positive things to us. H2: So how do you fight seasonal depression?

One effective method is to think positive. Another solution is physical activity, which, like eating sweets, helps our body to produce endorphins. I myself during a seasonal depression start doing more exercises which not only improves my mood but also guarantees satisfaction from the effort I have made by improving my silhouette. It is better to go for a run, as this will boost your endorphin and serotonin levels. Exercising will have a better effect on our body and provide longer-lasting results than eating another bar of chocolate.

Another method of dealing with depression may be changing your diet. Try to provide your body with the necessary nutrients, according to the healthy eating pyramid. This will affect not only your mental but also your physical condition. You can also try light therapy, and if you don’t want to invest in the necessary equipment, try a sunbed from time to time (even for a few minutes).

As you can see, you can still lead a normal life when suffering from seasonal depression. Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself, but this feeling will pass and everything will return to normal. I hope this entry will help you fight depression to a degree and make you see that you are not alone with your problem. Millions of people around the world are struggling with depression every day. As they manage to think positively, so you will succeed as well.