Coping With Seasonal Mood Shifts
Written by Janee’ Beville, MA, LPC, NCC and Alaina Smith, MA, LPC, CAADC

Just as we had begun to find creative ways to get outside during social distancing and being quarantined, we now have to deal with the affect seasonal changes can have on our mental health.  Many people struggle in regards to coping with seasonal mood shifts. Those of us in West Michigan know that winter can be unpredictable.  We’ve had beautiful Fall-like Christmas days and Winter Storms on Easter.  One thing for sure, is that we lose daylight hours and the sun. This lack of sunlight affects our mental health.

Defining the shifts

According to the DSM 5, this shift in mood is known as Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent with Seasonal Pattern. This disorder is characterized by prominent energy loss, hypersomnia, overeating with cravings for carbohydrates and weight gain.  These symptoms arise once the Fall and Winter months occur with a noticeable improvement in mood during the Spring and Summer months. The lack of sunlight causes serotonin levels to drop and melatonin levels to be off.  Our Circadian rhythm also gets off schedule because of the shortened daylight hours and early night.

Treating seasonal mood shifts

For this reason, we have to take advantage of daylight when they happen to occur. That means getting outside so the sun can provide your body with Vitamin D. To supplement the reduced sunlight, we can take Vitamins D and B12 and also use light therapy.  Medication for depression, talk therapy, and relaxation techniques can also help us manage our mood during the Fall and Winter months.

While many of us have some idea of how to cope with negative emotions, Fall and Winter weather can get in the way of some of our go to coping activities. It is especially important to find healthy ways to cope even when stuck indoors, and work those into your daily and weekly routines.

Here are a few ideas to try:

• Plan something to look forward to and get excited about.
• Develop a routine that you can stick to weekly to help stay focused and accomplishing tasks.
• Indoor workouts- plenty of great free options online, head to Youtube and try different ones.
• Spring cleaning/purge- we often wait till Spring but there is no rule that it can only happen then, you may be pleasantly surprised by how good it feels to do!
• Create a happy jar- when anything happens which makes you feel happy or is a blessing, write it down and put it in a jar. On rough days you can open the jar and read the happy memories!
• Seek warmth- studies show that the sensation of warmth mimics  physical touch and activates similar pathways in the brain. So find a soft blanket, take a warm shower/bath, make your favorite hot beverage or soup and activate those neurological pathways to assist with lessening loneliness.
• Do the one thing challenge- every time you enter a room do one thing to help clean or organize the room before you leave it again. Makes the task of cleaning seem lesser and helps find productivity in the day.
• Let in natural light- keep the curtains open and embrace what sunlight you do get. Another option is to get a sunlamp to help with getting better levels of natural light.
• Play and get moving! Have a dance party, play games, do something silly to make yourself laugh. Movement and play are amazing mood boosters.