Emotional wellness is vital to one’s well being. It is something one must pay attention to as it contributes to overall health. The National Institute of Health (NIH) states how “emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.” Essentially, it is how to properly cope with everyday stressors and traumatic experiences in life so you can live how you want to live. The link provided also has a toolkit for how you can improve your emotional health. And as we go further into fall, one topic that comes up is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which can have a detrimental effect on emotional wellness around this time of year.
A Brief Explanation of SAD and Its Symptoms
Also known as winter depression, the symptoms of SAD start in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states how there exists both summer-pattern SAD and winter-pattern SAD. SAD “is a recurrent major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern usually beginning in fall and continuing into winter months…it is a type of recurring major depression with a seasonal pattern.” (Melrose, 2015) Some of the major symptoms include low energy and sad moods.
According to the NIMH, symptoms of major depression include “feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, experiencing changes in appetite or weight, having problems with sleep, feeling sluggish or agitated, having low energy, feeling hopeless or worthless, having difficulty concentrating, etc.” It is important to note that these symptoms differ for each person, and not everyone with SAD will experience them. Symptoms of winter-themed SAD can include oversleeping, weight gain, and social withdrawal while symptoms of summer-themed SAD can include insomnia, anxiety, and poor appetite.
One of the things believed to be partially culpable for SAD is difficulty in regulating the neurotransmitter serotonin that is believed to be responsible for balancing mood. This neurotransmitter “modulates neural activity and a wide range of neuropsychological processes.” (Berger et al., 2009) According to Melrose, as the days get shorter and the amount of sunlight lessens, a corresponding decrease in serotonin activity also occurs. “As winter days become darker, melatonin production increases and, in response, those with SAD feel sleepy and lethargic.” This combination or less serotonin and more melatonin impacts the circadian rhythm and can make it difficult for bodies of those with SAD to adjust. Another effect of less exposure to sunlight during the winter is a lower production of Vitamin D. The NIMH states that some suggested treatments, that have had mixed findings in different studies, include light therapy, psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, and Vitamin D. One of the best things to do would be to go to your primary care physician or doctor to seek advice/information and next steps should you feel that you need any assistance.
Emotional Wellness
As we have discussed in past blogs, there are different ways to attend to emotional wellness and mental health. Our Self Care Tips blog lists some helpful ways to practice self love and relieve stress. Something important to know is that an unbalanced emotional state could contribute to emotional eating. “Emotional eating (i.e. eating in response to negative emotions) has been suggested to be one mechanism linking depression and subsequent development of obesity.” (Konttinen et al., 2019) Our Mindfulness And Reducing Stress blog discusses some questions we can ask ourselves regarding how we can look deeper into the meaning behind old habits that cause stress and suffering. In addition, our Mindfulness And Eating Triggers blog discusses three sources of eating triggers and how mindfulness can help you identify eating triggers. It is important to monitor emotional wellness so that one can be aware of the food choices they make and the reasoning behind it.
Emotional wellness isn’t just about how you eat—it’s also about how you live. For example, how well you deal with setbacks in life, emotional trauma, relationships, and more. It’s about finding the balance in your life. Our Release Stress And Build Your Resilience blog has additional tips to assist in developing emotional wellness. As physical activity is known to help with mood and reduce moderate depression, you can take a look at our Change in Season, Change in Workout blog to see how you can adapt your workout routines to the current weather. Once again, one of the best resources you may have available to you is the guidance of your primary care physician or a health or nutrition specialist. Be sure to let your concerns and questions be known so you can receive the appropriate care. Remember that different things work for different people, so don’t be discouraged if things don’t work right at the beginning.
Berger, M., Gray, J. A., & Roth, B. L. (2009). The expanded biology of Serotonin. Annual Review of Medicine, 60(1), 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.med.60.042307.110802
Konttinen, H., van Strien, T., Männistö, S., Jousilahti, P., & Haukkala, A. (2019). Depression, emotional eating and long-term weight changes: A population-based prospective study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0791-8
Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal affective disorder: An overview of assessment and treatment approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/178564
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Blessing Bolomope, Student Intern
B.S. Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2020