Seasonal Anxiety Disorder, also called Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD) is a prevalent among most people predominantly in countries who have four seasons. In the United States, it affects about 1/4 of the population. When you start to feel hopeless, fatigue, feel some sort of disturbance in your sleeping rhythm during the start of the fall season, you are having a seasonal affective/anxiety disorder.
This disorder is cyclical in nature. The distress is episodic occurring only in the fall until the spring season. Modern day discoveries reveal that people, especially women, who have a history of depression in the previous generations, are more likely to experience the disorder.
The change from one season to another brings major changes not only in the Earth’s environment but also in the psyche of its inhabitants as well. During the season, the endocrine glands undersecrete if not disrupt the melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone, production of the body which in result, makes you most of the time sleeping (also called the ‘winter blues’) aside from overindulgence in food.
Commonly, treatments for seasonal anxiety/affective disorder are the light therapy mixed with psychotherapy and anti-depressants. One of the simplest thing you can do to handle this anxiety disorder during the season is to expose yourself to direct sunlight (light therapy as mentioned). It’s a widely accepted fact that sunlight brings all the benefits such as the energy to be proactive. As much as possible, give yourself direct sunlight whenever there is any, do not make any sort of negative nostalgia during the day as it this piece of thought contributes to the whole thing.
Moreover, exposing one to direct sunlight increases the production of the serotonin hormone, deemed to be producing alertness. Also, you would need some planning on your diet during this season to keep up with you overall well being and manage your emotions better. Here are some useful forewarnings:
- Get enough physical exercise
- Supply your body with vitamin-d3 tablets
- As much as possible, eat less. The more you eat, the lousier you are during the season
- List as many physical things you want to do before the season, it’s best to stay active to help you deal with the anxiety disorder better.
Simple things to do during the season can definitely help you manage better the anxiety disorder. Stop worrying, stay active, eat less, and take vitamin supplements. Your overall vitality relies on your initiative.
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