Can the Seasons Help our Mood?

As we now have approached daylight savings time, people are getting excited to once again have more daylight time after getting home from work. Not only does this lead to more productivity, especially in outdoor endeavors, but it also gives us a chance for more sun exposure. Besides the obvious benefits of giving the chance for increased vitamin D production, the actual state of having more evening light time can be emotionally and physiologically beneficial for some individuals, especially if they suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Seasonal affective disorder is actually a form of depression that typically coincides with the winter months, with the absence of sunlight being the primary cause. The lack of light in winter may create a “dyssynchrony” in your body’s sleep-wake cycles and internal clocks. This in turn may lead to imbalances in your levels of serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters that control your mood, appetite and energy levels.

With more “daylight time” in the evening, people tend to be more productive with their tasks, especially as it relates to outdoor activities. More play time, the opportunity to get needed yard work done or beautifying the landscape can all lead to more feelings of satisfaction or accomplishment. Activity levels also increase with the light change and warmer temperatures, so metabolically there are reasons why we feel better both mentally and physically. The urge to curl up in a warm blanket and just sit on the couch may be comforting in the winter, but it sure doesn’t offer much of benefit for our metabolic state.

Overall, sometimes just the seasonal shift is enough to get someone out of the grasp of SAD, but there are other means to help minimize the risks of falling into a slump. First, stay active and avoid the tendency to just “shut down” and hibernate for the winter months. Second, natural light exposure as much as possible. Cats love to bask in the sunlight coming in from the windows, so why shouldn’t we? Lastly, vitamin D from supplementation should be at least 2000 IU per day to make up what we lose from low sun exposure. Simple strategies in all, but they could make a big difference in keeping you from falling “down in the dumps”.

In Health, 

Dr. Brad Niewierowski