Did you know
sunshine - or lack of it - can actually affect your mood? When we consistently
enjoy sunshine, we are more likely feeling happy. Lack of sunshine, especially
during the winter months, can cause a progressive melancholy mood.
It is common
to experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that starts in the beginning
of the dusky season of fall and increases during the dark months of winter. As
spring comes into view, one usually starts to feel better; and as the sunny
summer months come along, one usually feels they are getting back to their
normal self again. However, it is very common for the SAD cycle to repeat itself
again the next New Year.
Thomas J. Boud,
MD, states SAD symptoms can include “depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of
energy, social withdrawal, fatigue and oversleeping, loss of interest in
activities, carbohydrate and sugar cravings, weight gain, and difficulty
concentrating."
The positive
aspect is that there are skills and techniques one can learn and use to work
through SAD, to diminish the cycle!
For questions,
information, and therapy on recognizing and preventing SAD, contact Monica
Forsman, M.Ed., LAPC at Resilient Solutions, Inc., in Bountiful, Utah.
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