It Isn't The Season To Be SAD
As shorts get longer, day parties start to dwindle and the summer slowly releases from our sun-kissed grasp we can feel the shift in the atmosphere overcome us. People like you and me who tend to be overactive both at work and in our personal and social lives understand what it's like to be tired from overextending ourselves with not only our work but also the work of others. Although we creep day and night with exhaustion as we try to stay committed to rest fall and winter can get a little tougher thanks to Seasonal affective disorder.
SAD, also known as seasonal depression, occurs when the seasons change. It typically starts at the entrance of fall until the end of winter. You may have experienced and brushed it off as just feeling off at the moment. The constant over-eating, sleeping, and reacting can have you on an emotional ass rollercoaster headed to nowhere but chaos. I've been guilty of it myself. Blaming work or other things going on for what really is a type of depression. Colder weather was always my excuse to start wearing more and going out less especially when I lived in Chicago. Have your eyes ever watered so much from being cold that tears stick to your face? (I still love you so much Chicago)
Regardless of negative too damn much up in the North or a mild light jacket winter in the South the change in seasons can still have an impact on you. With an orange cheeto acting like a toddler in the house that is white, a Supreme Court justice hearing that is dropping atomic bombs daily, and the overall perils of being young, black and in America we have to do enough to protect our necks on the daily.
Everyone can have different symptoms and they also can range in severity but the most common are daily depression, loss of interest in things you used to love, difficulty concentrating, weight changes, feelings of hopelessness and problems sleeping. Realize that these are also signs of general depression so don't be fearful to speak to someone if this is a constant feeling.
To help you take on being SAD:
- Meditate. Finding your place of peace can help combat low feelings.
- Exercise and eating a balanced diet. What we put in our body has a crucial impact on how we feel emotionally and physically.
- Light Therapy. Some people have seen luck introducing light boxes into their homes to make up for the lack of sun during the fall/winter
- Vitamin D and/E to give you a boost of energy.
- Talk to someone. If you're feeling down or unlike yourself make sure to touch base with your accountability group or seek therapy. Check out Therapy for Black Girls or Eustress for information on seeking professional services.
As a reminder, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Take time out to check on your strong friends, your friends that always have it together, the ones you think may silently be suffering. I lost my aunt eleven years ago to suicide. She was that kind of person where her light shined so brightly for everyone to see but at the same time, she couldn't see it herself. We've all been touched in some way by loved ones that have left too soon.
In case you needed a reminder today, you're needed in this world.