We all know that fall is obviously the superior season. I'm currently writing this while wearing three scarves over my hand-knitted sweater with Uggs as I sit on a park bench watching the last of the birds fly south for the winter with a mug of hot cocoa in one hand and a PSL in the other. I don't play around with fall.
But all jokes aside, with the pumpkin patches and colored leaves comes longer nights, gloomy skies, a lack of Vitamin D, and a much higher chance of seasonal depression (known as seasonal affective disorder, or the extremely apt acronym SAD), especially in strung-out college students who run only on espresso and cortisol and haven't eaten a vegetable since June. And it's pretty hard to enjoy the fall festivities when you can't even muster the energy to get out of bed.
Having lived in very sunny San Diego for my whole life, I had no experience with what actual seasons looked like when I arrived at Puget Sound my freshman year, and the SAD hit me like a ton of bricks when mid-October rolled around. But now I'm a senior and have made it through three whole autumns' worth of seasonal depression and have lived to tell the tale, thanks to these survival tips:
1. Invest in a Happy Light
These handy little lights emit special UV rays (sans the sunburn) that simulate natural sunlight to help make the start of your day a little brighter when you have to wake up before the sun does. They're a little bit of an investment (mine was about $70), but I click it on as soon as my alarm goes off and I feel like it gives me that little extra nudge to get up and at least get some instant coffee going. Sure, a lot of the energy I get from it may just be the placebo effect, but whatever works, right?
2. Exercise
I know this is usually the last thing you want to do when you're depressed, but endorphins make you happy because of science. Don't argue with science. I signed up for a Zumba class this semester to force myself to exercise, but I like dancing, so it was a good move for me. Not everyone likes dancing, but luckily, there are many ways to exercise, like running or swimming or specifically pole dancing. Pole dancing can also get you some extra money on the side, and money can make you happy.
3. Eat Breakfast
It really is the most important meal of the day. Pack a peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich the night before in case of oversleeping so you can eat it while you walk to campus. Grab some almonds to snack on your way out the door if you have to. Pick a handful of the berries on that one bush outside the music building while you run to your class that started 5 minutes ago, for all I care. Just eat something, your body will thank you. Unless you actually ate those berries. Then you might be in trouble.
4. Pet a dog
Many people in college towns have dogs. Dogs are soft and almost always love you. Their owners are often walking them on the streets, or sometimes they are sitting in yards. The warmth of another living creature can be very therapeutic and can fulfill your need to nurture, but make sure you ask all parties involved for consent.
5. Steal the dog
Once the dog has consented to your petting, go ahead and take the leash that you brought with you for this very occasion and attach it to the dog's collar. The dog is sure to follow. Especially if you have taken your daily bath in raw steak and bacon grease. You have now made a friend. The friend will lick you to show its affection for you as its new owner. And also because you taste like raw steak and bacon grease.
6. Talk to someone new
It seems counter-intuitive, but one of the best ways to shake the blues is by getting out of your comfort zone and striking up a conversation with a stranger. That stranger could be the person in front of you at the grocery store, your mailman on his daily rounds, or your cellmate at the local police station after you got arrested for stealing that dog. Who knows, maybe that stranger will change your outlook on life. Maybe they'll suggest a new hobby for you to get you out of your funk. Like showering with soap and water instead of raw steak and bacon grease.
7. See a therapist
It can be very cathartic to talk about your feelings with a trained professional whose job it is to listen and validate you. Sometimes there's a stigma around going to therapy, but there shouldn't be a stigma around a healing option that's supposed to help you feel better. And sure, maybe it's court-mandated because of that whole dog-stealing incident, but there's no reason to shy away from it. It could very well change your life for the better. And the life of those dogs.
Of course, these are just some of the coping techniques that I happen to know work for me and my SAD. Everyone is different, so take care of yourselves! Comment below with your favorite way to shake the autumn blues!
