The days blend together. Tasks that once brought joy remain incomplete on your desk. You’re tired, trapped, and most notably, you find yourself procrastinating more than usual. While this happens, the snow outside thickens as fall transitions into a dark, gloomy winter. You see your friends less – if you even have any. The roaring wind outside serves as the stale reminder that the Earth still spins on its axis, unknowingly to you, just as your shift in mood is at its lowest. It’s a gradual process, but you begin to notice that this change in spirit is not coincidental – brought on when rain storms are at their most frequent, it’s possible that our depleted mood is influenced by our lack of sun exposure.
Vitamin D from sunlight is absorbed into our skin, reducing the effects of depression by supplying serotonin. As a key producer of our serotonin, the sun is a valuable and treasured power source that keeps our bodies energetic, healthy, and lively. During the springtime, when the sky is clearest and the sun is more vibrant, people come out to enjoy themselves while collecting their dose of vitamin D for the day. You may come to notice that around the early days of March, productiveness swarms back to you just as the flowers outside bloom their vibrant spring colour.
Vitamin D deficiency may impair positive emotions and bring about mood disorders in certain demographics. Our mental health is vulnerable to early onset depression, and low mood may explain surges of procrastination when faced with something menial we would otherwise enjoy. If getting out of bed each morning slowly becomes a chore, then you’re likely experiencing a sink in mood as a result of lack of vitamin D — but don’t try and force that rundown engine to turn on; these are our bodies at function, and like most things long overworked, we need time, plenty of rest, and recognition that some parts might require more work than others.
We’re in natural tandem with the weather. When exposed to cold climates, we’re susceptible to negatively influenced moods, which can impact our response to the world as it continues to look more gloomy. Even in our culture, we associate pessimistic words with chillier climate — such as “Oh, have you met her? She’s cold-hearted!” — or the common phenomenon of “winter blues;” why do you think people actively escape to the southern climate once winter’s first chill approaches? The sun gleams in confidence, and the tropical coast provides vacation resorts for those seeking to spend a more warm Christmas in Hawaii or Barbados, which is the least Christmas-y activity you could do. Warmer, temperate climates expose us to sun rays that actively benefit our mental health and boost our mood, where our skin has the ability to create serotonin from active sunshine. Regardless, it all comes back to the dampened, gloomy days of winter and further isolation as COVID-19 regulations tighten around the neck. There are solutions at our disposal, however.
Light therapy is a practice where patients suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder are placed near a stable source of light that is meant to emulate the effects of natural sunlight that we tend to neglect indoors. The light comes out of a light therapy box and aids the patient in vitamin D exposure, as well as influencing serotonin regulation in the brain. For your own at-home light therapy, it’s beneficial to buy a UV lamp and have it on while you’re studying, reading, or even just laying in bed.
Vitamin D exposure can also come from daily supplements and foods that contain high sources of vitamin D. The foods include, but are not limited to: fatty fish, egg yolks, orange juice, and fortified cereals.
If you’re suffering from the winter blues, these tips can help lessen symptoms of onset depression, and hopefully pave new pathways for a brighter future.
Image: Kent Pilcher/Unsplash
