Low mood in autumn is a natural reaction to the gray, cloudy skies, constant rainy weather and cool autumn days. Here you can learn how to overcome autumn depression.
The good news first: You're not alone! The autumn blues plague many people in the months between October and March.
Gloomy weather has a negative effect on mood.
However, autumn depression can be treated well with simple means. You can do a lot yourself to quickly overcome the unpleasant mood swings.
What exactly, we would like to tell you today. So bad mood in autumn has no chance!
Table of contents
What is autumn depression?
The Autumn depression has been recognized as seasonal depression since 1987. Constant fatigue, listlessness and cravings for sweets are typical signs by which you can easily recognize the autumn blues. It is anything but a new invention; it plagued people even in ancient times.
When the days become shorter and the hours of sunlight less, the body gets too little light.
As a result, the organism cannot absorb enough of the Happiness hormone serotonin produce. Serotonin deficiency has an unfavorable effect on mental balance and triggers mood swings.
Bad mood in autumn is the result of too little sunlight and insufficient serotonin production.
The autumn blues only occur at a certain time of year. In the medical sense, it is therefore referred to as seasonal depression.
When you constantly appetite for chocolateIf you've had a lot of cake and ice cream and would like to sleep all day, you're probably suffering from the typical signs of autumnal depression.
Many people experience symptoms for at least 2 weeks in any given year.
Seasonal depression also manifests itself in physical complaints. Stomach pain and back pain often accompany depressive moods.
The change of seasons often triggers a gloomy mood. If you suffer from seasonal depression, you should spend as much time outdoors as possible and allow plenty of light into your living spaces.
Typical symptoms of autumn depression
It is often not so easy to find a Autumn depression to diagnose. Some Symptoms are atypical and may also indicate other diseases.
Constant brooding over worries and problems causes the mood to sink to a low point. A depressed mood is then a natural reaction of the soul.
If you suffer from severe fatigue or sleep disturbances for several weeks, this may be an indication of a depressive mood. Physical complaints such as stomach aches or back pain that occur without an identifiable cause are also typical symptoms of a depressive phase.
Classic signs of fall depression include:
- lower performance
- depressed mood, dejection
- increased need for sleep, daytime sleepiness
- Weight loss or weight gain with no apparent cause
What are the causes of autumn depression?
The main causes of autumn depression are lack of light and too low serotonin levels in the blood.
The trigger for the temporary low mood is the low sunshine duration in autumn and winter. On days when it gets light late in the morning and dark very early in the evening, the organism lacks sunlight and associated vitamin D.
In southern countrieswhich have many hours of sunshine all year round, it is therefore much more difficult for the sun to shine. less often to autumn depression.
A bad mood in autumn is therefore a normal reaction of the body to the lack of light and sunshine. However, a bad mood doesn't have to be a permanent condition. You can do a lot to feel good in the cold season.
Get your vitamin D status checked. Just about everyone has a vitamin D deficiency. This can make depressive moods worse.
What can you do against autumn depression
There are effective natural remedies for autumn depression. The use of medication is usually not necessary for seasonal depressive symptoms. If you react immediately when the first symptoms appear, you can quickly overcome the low mood.
The low mood in autumn can be combated very well with home remedies and other simple measures.
So that you can enjoy the fall and winter without a bad mood, you should become active as soon as you notice the first symptoms of depression. New hobbies help against depressive moods!
You should only take medication in exceptional cases and after consulting your family doctor.
- Light therapy is an effective measure against autumn depression.
- Social contacts help you to quickly overcome bad moods in the dark season.
- Regular exercise prevents lack of movement and bad mood.
The body reacts sensitively to changes in the weather. Mood swings occur more easily on gloomy days. Bad mood in autumn passes by itself, when on the first days of spring the Sun seems right again.
1. walking and jogging brightens the mood
A walk through the park, jogging or walking the dog have a positive effect on the psyche and brighten the mood.
Autumn is the ideal season for walking, hiking and trips to the countryside.
Even when the sun is not shining, daylight has a positive effect on your mood. If you exercise outside and spend as much time as possible outdoors, you can prevent a low mood in the fall.
Clothing in bright colors additionally lifts the mood and puts you in a cheerful mood.
2. with daylight against bad mood in autumn
The simplest remedy for a bad mood in autumn is sufficient daylight.
In severe cases, light therapy can help you. The treatment consists of irradiation with strong light of 10,000 lux.
For light therapy you need a special daylight lamp whose luminosity corresponds to sunlight without containing harmful UV radiation.
Most often, this therapy is performed in a doctor's office. Seasonal lack of light can also be compensated by spending time outdoors.
3. sports against the autumn blues
Exercise creates feelings of happiness and is therefore effective against depression. Half an hour of exercise a day is enough to boost your mood and counteract low spirits.
Sporting activities can be easily integrated into the daily routine. During the lunch break, a short walk provides a better mood and energy.
Feelings of happiness arise from joint sports activities with friends or colleagues. In the morning after getting up, alternating showers help to wake up and start the day in a good mood.
After exercise, alternating showers with hot and cold water boosts circulation.
There is a whole range of positive Effects of sport on the body. Among other things, we release happiness hormones.
4. social contacts provide fun and optimism
In depression, many people suffer from negative feelings. Loneliness promotes depressive thoughts and leads to feelings of guilt.
If you travel a lot in the summer, you shouldn't miss out on joint activities with friends and colleagues in the fall and winter either.
Social contacts raise the mood and provide fun and optimism. Dinner dates after work, a visit to the cinema or working out together at the gym quickly make you forget the autumn blues.
If you don't like to go outside when it's dark or raining, just invite your friends to your house. A good mood also comes from a sense of achievement.
Sign up for a language class or practice a sport while meeting new friends to have fun with.
Organize again a girls night out!
5. diet helps against autumn depression
Nutrition has an important influence on physical and mental health. A healthy, vitamin-rich diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables also helps to combat autumn depression. In autumn applies: Eating colorful is healthy!
Foods high in the serotonin precursor tryptophan include dark chocolate, nuts, pumpkin seeds, bananas, beef and fish.
By changing your diet and eating a healthy diet, you can also positively influence an existing depression and prevent further depressive moods.
Dairy products and legumes contain a lot of magnesium and stimulate the nervous system.
If you suffer from an increased appetite during the depressive phase, you should consciously plan your meals.
Refrain from calorie bombs and also integrate potatoes and pasta into your diet, because they also contain serotonin.
How to avoid mood swings in autumn
If you are one of those people who suffer from depression every year during the dark season, you should start taking appropriate preventive measures in time.
To boost your mood, you can decorate your apartment in warm colors or hang colorful pictures and posters. An autumn bouquet with sunflowers triggers positive feelings.
With tea lights and candles you can create a cozy atmosphere in your home in the evening. Scented candles also help against the dark mood in autumn and winter, DIY massage oils and a new perfume with fresh or floral fragrance.
Our conclusion
There are many effective remedies against autumn depression. You can counteract the lack of light, the main cause of a bad mood, by exercising and spending regular time outdoors.
A special daylight lamp or light therapy helps against the lack of daylight. With simple measures, such as a vitamin-rich diet, you can ensure that the symptoms of autumn depression quickly subside.
Joint activities with friends are the best therapy against depressive moods. Scented candles and massage oils increase the feeling of well-being. However, if you suffer from severe depression for longer than two weeks, you should definitely consult your family doctor.
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