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In this article, Angie explains how decreased sunlight exposure and colder weather may have negative impacts on students.
Seasonal depression
Seasonal depression
By: Angie Dixon
By: Angie Dixon
As the weather gets colder, the days get increasingly shorter and gloomier. With this, the joy of summer slowly becomes a distant memory, and many students find themselves stuck in a cycle of unhappiness and misery. This cycle, which signifies the end of fall and the beginning of winter, is known as Seasonal Affective Depression-- also appropriately abbreviated to “SAD”-- and is characterized by intense feelings of loneliness and despondency that seem to have a direct association with the colder months of the year.
Sunlight instills both feelings of warmth and safety in humans, and frequent exposure to the sun's rays has been linked to increased serotonin levels. This is because of how the brain reacts to light stimuli. According to Healthline, “The light-induced effects of serotonin are triggered by sunlight that goes in through the eye. Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of serotonin.” Because of this fact, it is therefore implied that sunlight would have a positive effect on the human mind. In the context of seasonal affective depression, this relationship between sunlight and the brain would thus explain the dreariness that coincides with the chillier seasons, as daylight hours decrease with winter's progression.
Along with decreased sunlight, an increase in extremely frigid temperatures has been frequently shown to result in negative emotions. A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine found that even slight exposure to the cold could potentially “impair attention, speed of processing, memory and executive function.” Since attention, processing, and memory are all essential to a student's education and learning ability, wintry weather may have an effect on a student's grades or attendance, consequently leading to stress and causing students to get behind in school. These findings suggest a correlation between colder weather and mental health; thus, the late autumn and early winter months are particularly challenging for students who suffer through this cycle of depression.
Due to the influence of both sunlight levels and temperature on individuals, it is essential for students to monitor how different seasons may be negatively affecting their mental health. When left unmanaged, this form of depression can foster bad habits in school and life, reduce an individual's engagement with other students, and overall have a harmful effect on a teenager's life.
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