As winter sets in with its earlier sunsets, colder weather and quieter mornings, many students start to notice a shift in motivation, attitude and mood. While some people presume they just have winter blues, it can be something more serious, like a case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a mental health condition caused by many factors that come with the winter months.
Since winter conditions are so cold and difficult to adapt to, it’s normal to recognize a gradual change in your own attitude and emotions. Usually, these changes start around October and are common occurrences for a lot of people, students and adults alike. Students must adjust to shorter days, colder temperatures and the overall change in routines that come with the season.
These moods mostly stem from the changing weather. When we notice the weather getting worse and more trees starting to wither, it can really bring down people’s spirits.
“I know for me personally, even waking up and seeing snow on the ground or bad weather can really affect me,” guidance counselor Matthew Brodhead said. “When students leave school, or when they get home after practices, it’s a lot darker outside. This can really affect them because sunlight has a direct correlation to happiness.”
This type of reaction to the weather and earlier sunsets can affect people of all ages, as shifts in daylight and routine impact individuals differently, regardless of their generation.
“There are no statistics that show that certain age groups suffer from seasonal depression more,” psychology teacher Daniel Ferrel said. “People of all age groups can struggle with seasonal depression.”
As the outside environment becomes more severe and draining, the body responds in its own ways to adapt to it. Winter light tendencies directly alter students’ internal clocks, influencing their sleep patterns and causing drowsiness.
“As the sun goes down, the body will naturally secrete more melatonin earlier in the day, which makes you want to go to bed earlier,” Ferrel explained. “This reduces your energy and bodily functions, causing you to be more lethargic.”
As our bodies adapt psychologically and physically, the emotional environment inside of the school shifts as well. Students often find themselves more overwhelmed and less patient, especially as their work piles up while they are fighting to keep up in classes. This collective stress among many students can build up quickly.
“It can be intense for students because the majority of them are feeling this pressure all at the same time,” social worker Calista Sarabia said. “Naturally, tensions are going to rise, even for adults.”
Not all kids handle this pressure in the same way, though. Usually, it can differ based on their grade level and their experiences. More experience and higher grade levels can often mean a bit more maturity, as well as higher emotional intelligence levels.
“I think juniors and seniors have a little bit more emotional intelligence when it comes to their emotions around this time of the year,” Brodhead said. “This is mostly because they’ve been through a couple years of high school and have more experience dealing with it.”
Since this type of depression is common in teens, most schools aim to have resources available for students, so they have a structured and accessible place to talk about their feelings.
“I think most schools have made a big effort to make social and emotional learning a big part of their curriculum conversations,” Ferrel said. “I think we are moving in the right direction, and students are learning how to manage those emotions a little bit better. But we are definitely doing quite a bit.”
Although the increasing efforts from teachers and staff to help inform students on the matter can be effective, there is still a stigma around seasonal depression. This can arise from social norms and expectations set by peers, teachers or parents.
“I think people don’t see it as a real mental condition, even though it’s literally in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders),” Sarabia said. “People just dismiss it because they think you can’t be depressed for a season, despite there being so many contributing factors that they don’t recognize.”
It’s important that we continue to talk about and raise awareness in regard to this condition so people can acknowledge it and know that it is completely normal to deal with.
“Breaking down the stigma and really exposing kids to how prevalent it is across a wide number of students and people across the country helps them recognize the reality and validity of seasonal depression,” Brodhead said. “It’s important for students to know that it’s okay to talk about their feelings and it’s okay to not be okay.”
As weather patterns change and daylight decreases, many students experience changes in mood and energy that align with seasonal depression. There are still studies on how factors like sunlight, temperature and disruptions in your routine contribute to these symptoms. By documenting these patterns and the experiences of those affected, these reports highlight the connection between seasonal changes and mental health during the winter months.
