Fend Off Seasonal Depression
The onset of winter brings with it a multitude of emotions–from anticipating the holidays, to the urge to stay cozy inside, to the cravings of warm and sustaining food. But there is also a less pleasant reaction to darker days and colder temperatures, seasonal depression, which in its most severe form is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
Typically starting in October and ending in April, many people experience a mild form of winter doldrums, which can include a five-pound weight gain, a lack of energy, and increased sleepiness. The scarcity of sunlight in the shorter winter days disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, or internal body clock. Some combination of geography, genetics, and brain chemistry determines just how sensitive a person is. The brain tends to overproduce melatonin, the hormone that regulates body clock and sleep patterns, but which has also been linked to — you guessed it — depression.
There are many ways to keep this depression at bay and revel in the many heartening possibilities in the lovely seasons of fall and winter. Check them out at:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/dealing-with-winter-blues-sad.aspx