Do you know Autumnal depression?

“I’m depressed.” “I hate this weather.” “Everything irritates me!” “I don’t feel like doing anything…” These are some of the phrases or thoughts that can accompany the frustration of not perpetuating a period associated with holidays and well-being.

Why does our mood change with the change of season?

The mood swings that accompany the change of season have a simple explanation. The light and the heat have a stimulating effect, which invites us to do more outdoor activities, to socialise more. The rain, the cold and the shorter days mean that you spend fewer hours outdoors to protect yourself from the rain, to keep warm from the cold, to move less and, in some cases, to be more alone. The physical and external factors influence a set of biochemical changes that contribute to a change in mood, desire and interest during the day; we feel more tired, want to sleep and experience more mood swings, which can be simply sadness or autumn depression, associated with the change of season. Sadness is a normal reaction that follows a loss. It has the function of pointing out what is important and, in this way, it is an invitation to value life experiences, people, persevering memories and redirecting actions, to take more and better care of what one has, or to value more people whose life circumstances have driven away. These may be family members who return to their normal lives and in this way the conviviality is reduced; children who return to school, or other people with whom the conviviality is occasional. To overcome the mood swings associated with the changes of season, known as autumnal depression or seasonal depression, it is recommended to develop a healthy lifestyle.

3 tips for overcoming the mood swings associated with the changing seasons:

1. Use and abuse of natural light – spend as much time as possible in natural light, either outdoors or indoors, keeping windows wide open so that light can come in;
2. Eat healthy food – follow a varied and healthy diet avoiding processed foods and sugars;
3. Move and get busy – walk every day for 30 to 60 minutes (or as much as you can, as long as you walk more than usual), preferably in natural environments. Also try to include activities in your daily life that will help you to have something to do, to move around and to occupy your days, including at least something that gives you pleasure every day.

You already follow these guidelines, but besides feeling sad, there is a certain emptiness, a lack of hope that you do not understand? Do you seem to have lost interest or pleasure in most of the things you do, accompanied by a loss of energy and fatigue that takes away the pleasure you previously experienced? Does all this cause you suffering that you do not understand? Furthermore, do you feel that your work is suffering because of your difficulty in concentrating and your mood is already damaging your personal and family relationships? In this case, consider seeking specialised help from a psychologist or a doctor. If in your case you do not suffer from any of these signs but you live with someone who does and you do not understand what you can do, although there are no prescriptions, there are some practical actions you can take to show your support.

How do you support someone who is dealing with seasonal depression?

1. Be present – Try to be present without pushing advice, recipes and above all do not say “cheer up”. Those who are depressed are not “discouraged by lack of will”, they feel sad and uninterested without knowing why. They often feel belittled, guilty for being this way and with a feeling of isolation and inadequacy because of a lack of understanding of themselves and others. Hearing “cheer up” will only reinforce all these feelings;
2. Treat depression like any other illness and stop taking advice – Depression is an illness like any other. And, in this sense, when the signs identified above last for at least two weeks, it is advisable to seek help so that it can be assessed and professional intervention can take place. Do not try to understand the causes because often there are no objective reasons;
3. Listen and speak from the heart, and forget logic – When you speak from the heart you do not look for reasonable reasons to explain sadness, discouragement, easy tears… because perhaps you will not find them. By listening with the heart you will know how to find the right and opportune words or only silence. Sometimes the greatest understanding is when nothing is said and listening to the other’s silence may be the greatest proof of love or friendship you can give. So, leave the words behind and discover creativity and the language of love and make it concrete by offering something that can distract the attention of the other person, being present, facilitating a timely reading or referring them to a professional. Because the words will carry away the wind and, after all, when the images are clear, they do not need subtitles…