Story by Jaxon Winters
Photo by Kailee Shores
It’s that time again. The once vibrant greens of the forest have turned crimson gold and burning red. The sun that weeks ago dominated the landscape seems to be having a battle with the moon on how much daylight there should be throughout the day and with that, the temperature is dropping. The morning birds are silent, because they’ve moved south.
Meanwhile, pumpkin spice, plaid, cardigans and scarves are back in style. Autumn is here. Yet, amid the festivities, not everything is cause for celebration. Seasonal depression lurks in the shadows affecting college students, who find themselves struggling to be themselves at work, in classes and with friends.
A study from the National Library of Medicine surveyed college students and found that 13 to 19 percent of college students suffer from seasonal depression.
But here are tips to combat seasonal depression.
Ironically, it all starts with the dark dorm room that was once tidy and filled with light. An already dark and gloomy compound will be even worse when the sun begins to set earlier.
Christa Yandell, a licensed professional counselor offering clinical mental health counseling to children, individuals and families, has a specialty for high school and college students and helps them get through tough battles including seasonal depression.
The Hendersonville-based practitioner begins with brightening the aforementioned dark dorm room.
“It’s a start. A person’s room says a lot about the mood that they are or have been in.”
Lighting, cleanliness, getting little sleep and decreased activity are many things that can affect a person’s mind to start becoming encapsulated in autumn’s dark side.
“Things like moving your study area to a brighter area or to make it even more simple, just add colorful things around you,” Yandell said, noting her office filled with motivational posters, colorful art, and bright furniture.
Halloween and Thanksgiving being the forefront of this season also contributes to some seasonal depression.
“Diet is very important especially during all the temptations in this season. To put it bluntly,” she said with a chuckle, “if you eat like shit, you’re gonna feel like shit.”
Vitamin D is very important when it comes to this issue. “There’s going to be less sun so you need that Vitamin D to keep your energy levels up. Vitamin D deficiency is heavily linked with depression.”
Having a balanced diet is keen on trying to survive and combat seasonal depression or just depression in general.
“It’s hard for some,” she laughs. “Even for me, I have trouble buying trashy food like McDonald’s or Taco Bell, but it’s important not to eat that type of food all the time.”
Proper exercise also comes along with eating a balanced diet. “Many people I have talked to have some of the same issues. It’s like a pattern. A big component in this pattern is when students fall into a bad diet, they tend to be less active. The food that they are eating makes them tired, making them stay in their dark room and sulk.”
A gym is a place for improvement and positive reinforcement for every student, even beginners.
“Another factor of students not wanting to be active is low self-esteem. They think the only place they can work out is at the gym but that’s far from the truth.”
She shows a pamphlet of stay-at-home workouts including pushups, sit-ups, and lunges, but it also gives more specific workouts. One of these are chair squats. The pamphlet offers instructions using cartoon-like characters.
“I know the pictures seem silly, but a start is a start.”
“Oh of course the most obvious thing to do if you’re suffering from depression or seasonal depression is to contact someone and seek professional help. It is never OK to suffer in silence.”
Yandell also suffers from falling into the autumn trap and takes steps to mark the problem and see if she can fix it. Around her table are a ton of small yellow sticky notes with things that she has written down on what her brain thinks of at night.
“Our brain is filled with negative thoughts. What I would recommend doing is at night when trying to go to sleep, if your brain makes you think of a negative thought, write it down and understand if you can fix it at that moment.”
On some of the sticky notes, she shows things like you’re too fat or you don’t deserve the things you have. “I can’t fix these in bed trying to go to sleep, so just like a thought escaping my mind, I put it somewhere else. That would be the sticky notes.”
Seasonal depression can cast a shadow over the brightest of college experiences, but with the right strategies, those affected can shine through the gloom. Embrace the light, stay active, maintain a routine, connect with others, eat well, practice mindfulness, and don’t be afraid to seek professional help when needed. depression and enjoy a fulfilling college life, no matter the weather outside.
And remember, spring will come, and with it, renewed energy and vitality. Until then, take care of your mental health and keep the autumn blues at bay.
Jaxon Winters is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact News Editor Kailee Shores, Assistant News Editor Alyssa Williams and Assistant News Editor Zoe Naylor, email [email protected].
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