Do you feel annoyed when people around you romanticise rain? While they feel like grooving to Bhaage re mann, you desperately want to go home. You can attribute this to seasonal depression or Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Everyone feels differently about each season. While some eagerly wait for summer to begin, others fear the excessive heatwave. Though a majority of people feel good about rainy weather, few dislike the weather with the passion of a thousand burning suns. So, what’s the deal with monsoon blues?

Come monsoon, the chances of soaking up the sun go down. The lack of sun can further diminish the supply of neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin. So, happy hormones are forced to stay back. Moreover, the monsoon season comes with humidity, muddy streets, traffic, cancelled plans and irregular sleep cycles that can bring you sadness. Even geeli mitti ki khushboo can’t elevate your mood as it is a reminder of your relationship with rain in general. But how can you know that you’re undergoing seasonal depression?

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Symptoms of seasonal depression

Seasonal Depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a mood disorder that happens around the same time every year. People who face severe mood swings are likely to be more prone to developing SAD. Here are some of the major symptoms of seasonal depression.

• Low energy
• Irritable mood
• Constant frustration
• Prolonged sadness
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Sleep disturbance or over-sleeping
• Losing interest in things you generally enjoy
• Increased craving for fried or sugary food items

The greys outside can trigger the symptoms and make you weary and annoyed. It can be challenging to carry out even routine tasks if you have seasonal depression. These symptoms might vary in intensity and differ from person to person. SAD may sound like a villain until you know how to combat it. But how can you do so?

Fighting The Blues

There are multiple ways to deal with seasonal depression and overcome it. Once you recognise your symptoms, you can figure out how to go about it. If you suspect severe symptoms that hinder your daily functioning, you should consult a therapist. Usually, mild signs of seasonal depression can be fixed through lifestyle modifications. However, light therapy for depression is highly advisable. Monsoon blues are majorly caused by not getting enough sunlight. So, light therapy boxes mimic the natural sunlight, making them quite resourceful. 

Additionally, you can practise the following lifestyle changes to get seasonal depression under control.

• Being around bright colours or clothes to cheer yourself up
• Having your comfort food 
• Vitamin D supplements
• Exercising at home or doing short household chores to keep yourself moving
• Doing yoga and meditation to relieve stress
• Calling up a friend or anyone with whom you can talk your heart out
• Getting a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep 
• Ek cup chai or as many as you like

These practices might sound cliché, but at the end of the day, they are actually quite helpful. There can be many other ways that can make you happy during the seasonal depression phase, including watching your favourite movies. You can definitely add them to the list and make your way out of SAD-ness.

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