Recently, the cooling of the trees on the street has begun to turn from green to yellow, and from yellow to bald, and waves of sadness will surge in my heart. Even though nothing happened, I couldn't help myself for no reason, and felt sad and depressed. Life was like this season and lost its sunshine and hope.
Just want to lie in bed and sleep every day, and don’t want to see anyone. I obviously didn't do anything, but I still felt very tired. Why do you suddenly become so lost and depressed? Why do life suddenly become unsatisfactory? Will seasons really have such a big impact on our emotions?
1. The physiological mechanism of "harm spring and sad autumn"
It is autumn. With the changes in temperature and climate, the body's metabolism and physiological functions begin to slow down. After getting up in the morning, you are prone to loss, anxiety, pessimism and depression.
Western medicine calls this condition seasonal depression, also known as seasonal emotional disorder, which usually starts in autumn and worsens in winter. Seasonal changes will make many people feel depressed to varying degrees. This is actually a physiological problem and a law of nature.
Seasonal depression has some relatively distinctive symptoms:
1. Fatigue, more obvious decrease in energy, and low motivation;
2. Sleepy, I feel that I can't sleep enough, and I still want to sleep after sleeping;
3. Insufficient energy;
4. Strong appetite;
5. Unable to concentrate, a sense of slow thinking, and I feel like my head is like paste;
6. I hope to be alone and avoid social interaction.
Changes in the environment will have an impact on the neurotransmitter and hormone levels in our bodies. Insufficient light will affect the secretion of three substances in the human body, which in turn will affect our emotional state.
serotonin secretion decreases
serotonin is a natural mood regulator that can make our emotions more stable and relaxed. Low serotonin levels can lead to low appetite, inattention, anxiety, anger, etc.
Vitamin D secretion decreases
Insufficient vitamin D can also bring depression. As the sun decreases, people with SAD produce less vitamin D, affecting serotonin activity.
Melatonin secretion increases
Melatonin is generally secreted at night and can promote sleep. In autumn and winter, the sunlight becomes less and the secretion of melatonin increases, so people are prone to sleepiness during the day. Adding up several reasons, the arrival of autumn and winter can easily make people feel physical discomfort, unreasonable sadness and inexplicable depression.
2. Who is prone to being targeted by seasonal depression?
1. Women and young people
, especially women with introverted, sensitive, and emotionally fragile personality, are easily affected.
2. Indoor mental activists
Seasonal depression may be related to insufficient light. The time the human body receives sunlight is significantly reduced, which will affect the secretion of melatonin in the pineal gland of the human brain, thereby causing discomfort symptoms such as depression, sleep disorders, and slow reactions.
3.Popular population with a history of mental illness or emotional mental illness
If a relative in the family suffers from seasonal depression or other types of depression, then this type of person is more likely to experience seasonal depression.
4. People with irregular life, weak constitution and very few physical exercises
Most people's moods are affected by weather changes, so it is normal to have short-term depression or sleepy conditions. But if you have a long-term emotional abnormality, you should pay attention.
3. How to self-regulate?
If seasonal depression has brought you serious psychological pain and functional damage, you should seek professional help and treatment in a timely manner. When your depression is still in the normal range and does not meet the diagnostic criteria, you can refer to the following suggestions to relieve depression:
1. Go outdoors to receive "sunbathing" more often: Sun exposure can reduce melatonin secretion and help maintain a stable and peaceful mood.
2. Add outdoor physical exercise: You can go for a walk, practice Tai Chi, Baduan Jin when there is plenty of sunshine in the afternoon.
3. Try indoor exercise: In rainy weather, you can try some indoor exercises, such as yoga, skipping rope .
4. Eat sweets in moderation: When you are depressed, you can eat some sweets such as chocolate, cakes, etc.
5. Listen to music: Listen to more warm and lyrical songs to help relieve depression.
[Warm reminder] As long as you understand the possible impact of seasons, especially seasons on people's emotions, arrange work and life scientifically, adjust the rhythm, appropriately increase social activities, enhance interpersonal communication and emotional communication, and reduce or avoid the impact of various life stress events as much as possible, increase outdoor activities to increase light time, and arrange meals reasonably, you will definitely effectively prevent the occurrence of seasonal depression.
