During the winter months, it is sad, gloomy, and cold outside. When things around you are gloomy, it greatly affects your mood and mental health. Weather can play a significant role in shaping our mental health, in many different types of ways. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a great example, where individuals experience depressive symptoms during specific seasons, commonly in winter when daylight hours are shorter.
The lack of sunlight can disrupt our brains, leading to feelings of depression and sadness. Conversely, abundant sunlight can boost serotonin levels, enhancing mood and energy. Even daily weather changes can influence our mood, with some people feeling more energized on bright, sunny days, while others may feel calm and gloomy during a rainstorm. Understanding the correlation between weather and mental health is crucial, as many teens struggle with seasonal depression.
This depression affects many here at Olathe East. We asked students at Olathe East how the cold weather affects their mental health. “You aren’t able to go outside, and it gets dark way earlier and it’s gloomy outside, it takes a toll on your mental health whenever you don’t have the sun out all the time.” Students are highly affected by the weather outside, the shorter days cause a lot of sadness to students.
Our bodies react to the cold by trying to conserve heat, which means we’re spending a lot of energy just trying to stay warm. This can lead to feeling tired or sluggish because our bodies are focused on the basics. And then there’s the daylight aspect. Shorter days mean less sunshine, and that affects the brain chemicals that regulate mood, like serotonin. It’s like our internal clock gets all messed up, and we can feel out of sorts or even depressed. This is why some people get hit with Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter. Staying social can be tougher too. It’s freezing outside, so we’re less likely to go out and see people, which can lead to feelings of isolation or loneliness. Humans are social creatures by nature, so when we don’t get our usual dose of interaction, it can really put a damper on our mental well-being.
