Autumn Blues
Change is in the air…fall schedules are filling, days are shorter, and school is back in swing. Summertime is in the rearview mirror. If you’re having a rough time shifting from sunny days to pumpkin spice lattes, you’re not alone. Beginning in September, many people notice that they feel less social, crave more carbs, worry more, or sleep differently (reporting either trouble sleeping or wanting more sleep than usual). It’s not all in the imagination –– there’s actual science linking changing seasons and changing moods. The struggle is real.
Biological and physiological changes are due in large part to light. The hormone serotonin helps regulate mood and contributes to feelings of happiness and well-being. One study shows that our brains produce less of this hormone with fewer hours of sunlight. Changing cycles of light and dark also affect body temperature and how much melatonin we produce (melatonin is the hormone that triggers sleep). Stress hormones are also affected. So, nature itself is working against us here. It might take more than just willpower or a positive attitude to help manage those fall and winter blues. Here are some steps toward a smoother transition:
Treat yourself gently.
When you’re feeling down in the dumps, the best thing you can do is be nice to yourself. Just go ahead and accept that it’s a hard time of the year for you, and give yourself a break. Instead of trying to fix or run away from hard emotions, just let them be. Pushing feelings down tends to backfire and make things worse.
Gather data.
If you’re willing to allow uncomfortable feelings to be there, you have a chance to really pay attention to them. Difficult emotions can be extremely valuable––they can reveal to us what genuinely matters. For example, if you feel sadness, talking with a friend or therapist can help identify ways to balance that emotion with actions that contribute strength or meaning. Or, if you feel overwhelmed, you might have a chance to acknowledge your appreciation for simplicity, and begin to delegate or say no to extras.
Unhook and stay present.
Not all emotions are helpful, especially when they consume you. Proponents of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy recommend framing anxious or uncomfortable feelings as observations. This helps by putting a little space between you and whatever is troubling you (unhooking from the feeling). So instead of saying “I’m lonely,” you might say, “I’m noticing a feeling of loneliness.” The first sentence implies that the feeling defines you. The second one leaves room for a bigger truth: that the feeling is just one piece of what you’re experiencing. This lets you focus on creating a moment, an afternoon, a week, a season, or a lifetime that is meaningful. You have absolutely no control over the wide range of feelings that may show up for you…but you always have a choice about how you want to show up in life.
Take care.
Nourish your body with good food, physical movement, and rest (if not sleep). Like sunshine, this kind of care can warm and sustain you. Seasons will change again and again––along the way, you have the power to keep yourself steady.
- Penny Howard, LPC, PLPC