1 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: mean for our psychology. Hello everybody, or welcome back to 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: the show. Welcome back for another episode. New listeners, old listeners, 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: it is so great to have you here today. Or 7 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: we're going to be breaking down yet another topic that 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: impacts us in our twenties and diving into some of 9 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: the psychology and the science behind what happens. So let's 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: get into it today. We're going to talk about seasonal depression. 11 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: Seasonal depression. It is, I think, such a popular topic. 12 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: It's become a much more common phrase, which is brilliant. 13 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: Anything too, I think de stigmatize or expand our understanding 14 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: of different disorders and illnesses that afflict us is so important. 15 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: I'm sure for many of our listeners they are probably 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: going into the winter months if you're in the US, 17 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: if you're in the UK, and for my ELDI listeners, 18 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:22,559 Speaker 1: perhaps we're finding ourselves exiting this period of maybe even 19 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: depression or sadness, low motivation as the summer season begins 20 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: and we're having some of those classic sunny, old days. 21 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: Maybe you are a bit of a winter baby, someone 22 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: who loves the cold, loves the chill, the shorter days, 23 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: maybe even the snow. That is definitely not the case 24 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: for myself. I love the sun. I'm such a summer baby, 25 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: and I have definitely struggled with periodic seasonal depression and 26 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: found that not only can it be really misunderstood, but 27 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: sometimes not understood at all, regardless really of where you 28 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: are in the world, whether you are suffering through a 29 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: few sullen winter days or enjoying the sunshine. Seasonal depression, 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: I think is an essential concept and experience for us 31 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: to understand in our twenties and really at all stages 32 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: in our life. It's essential knowledge. Really the weather in 33 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: our environment. It impacts our mood in such an interesting, complicated, 34 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: nuanced way. So we're going to discuss that impact, and 35 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about seasonal depression, what it is, 36 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: why it occurs, what it feels like, and how we 37 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: can protect ourselves as best as possible from some of 38 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: the feelings that come along with the dark, sometimes sad 39 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: winter months. So, buckling, let's jump into some of the psychology, 40 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: some of the science, the lessons of Sea an all depression. 41 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: So seasonal depression you've probably heard about it at some stage, 42 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: maybe in discussions with your friends or in the media 43 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: TikTok from your workplace, you know, posters warning you about 44 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: seasonal depression in the winter months. It's I think a 45 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: really amazing thing that this disorder, which is you know, 46 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: really it is a disorder, is becoming more understood and 47 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: becoming acknowledged as something that really does impact quite a 48 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: few people. And it's not really like a walk in 49 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: the park. It's not some lesser version of depression. Is 50 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: very much an emotional state marked by sadness, marked by 51 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 1: low motivation, that comes according to the months. But sometimes 52 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: the science behind it is not well communicated, and I 53 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: think it can be really beneficial for us to understand 54 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: from a psycho education perspective, why it is that the seasons, 55 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: that the weather, that our environment has such a profound 56 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: influence on our mental health and our mental state at 57 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: any given time. So seasonal depression is actually a bit 58 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: of a layman's name or a casual name, and sometimes 59 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: that can confuse us into thinking it's somewhat of a 60 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: made up concept, some kind of like fancy spin on 61 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: normal depression or what we perceive as normal depression, but 62 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: it is a really serious thing. And the professional name 63 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: for this experience is seasonal effective disorder, so by the 64 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: season's effective meaning emotions, and then disorder meaning that it 65 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: can be classified in the DSM. Someone pointed this out 66 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: to me the other day that the acronym for seasonal 67 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: effective disorder is actually SAD, which I think is quite ironic. 68 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: I don't know who was in charge of naming it, 69 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 1: but I think they're spot on. So essentially, season more 70 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: effective disorder. It's a type of depression that's related to 71 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: changes in the seasons. Normally, it begins and ends around 72 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: the same time every year for a person. If you're 73 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: like most people like myself who experiences this disorder, your 74 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: symptoms they normally start in autumn and they continue into 75 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: the winter months. So they start as the sun set. 76 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: It starts setting earlier and rising later, and it can 77 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: make you feel really moody. You can feel your energy 78 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: levels quite quickly plummet. These symptoms, luckily for us, often 79 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,559 Speaker 1: resolved during the spring and summer months, and it's also 80 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: incredibly common, really really common, impacting up to like one 81 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: in ten people. But there was a study done by 82 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: the National Institute of Mental Health quite recently actually, and yeah, 83 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: it said one in ten people will have some form 84 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,119 Speaker 1: of seasonal effective disorder in their life. It's also more 85 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: common in women than it is in men, and in 86 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: some areas or countries or regions where not only is 87 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: there a very significant change in seasons, but those winter 88 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: months are a lot harsher. Interestingly, when I was researching this, 89 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: I also found this out. There are actually some people 90 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: who have almost reverse seasonal effective disorder. So instead of 91 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: the winter seasons and the winter months, the colder months 92 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: being the ones in which they experience these symptoms of depression, 93 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: it's actually the summer months, the warmer months that cause 94 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: these periods of intense sadness. But that is a lot 95 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: less common, and we're going to explain why. When we 96 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: get into the science. You'll see why that's the case 97 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: in a second. I think one of the big common 98 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: misconceptions about seasonal depression is that it's just like the 99 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: winter blues, when the days kind of get darker and 100 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: colder and we have less sunlight, less daylight, less kind 101 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: of bright hours to go out and be social, to explore. 102 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: It's not unusual to experience temporary feelings of tiredness or 103 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:16,119 Speaker 1: stress or even anxiety, but seasonal affected disorder is much 104 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: more serious. It is a form of clinical depression, and 105 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: the symptoms can last sometimes even beyond those periods of 106 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: winter or autumn or the colder months, and kind of 107 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: extend beyond when we would typically see them, which can 108 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:39,679 Speaker 1: obviously cause some pretty big problems. The other thing to note, 109 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: and the other kind of close the way to kind 110 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: of point out the close relationship between full blown clinical 111 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: depression and seasonal depression is that it shares almost the 112 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: exact same symptoms with clinical depression, with the exception that 113 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: it normally comes and goes with the seasons and with 114 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: a specific season. In particular, if you're someone who right 115 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: now thinks they might be experiencing seasonal effective disorder or 116 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: seasonal depression as it's known more colloquially, these are some 117 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: of the kind of symptoms or I don't like to 118 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: say side effects, but the experiences you might be having, 119 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: So you might be feeling really listless, really sad or 120 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: down and really unable to pull yourself out of that funk. 121 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: For it to be kind of deemed as seasonal effective disorder. 122 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: This has to last for longer than a couple of weeks. 123 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: You know, everyone has a couple of hard days, especially 124 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: when it's cold. It's not always an equation for the 125 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: happiest of moods, but for it to be classified as 126 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: a disorder, it does have to last a little bit 127 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: longer than just a few days or, you know, just 128 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: an afternoon. The other thing we might notice is that 129 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: we lose interests in the activities that we once enjoyed. 130 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: We just cannot find the motivation to do them. You 131 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: have low energy, You feel sluggish, You might be experiencing 132 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: insomnia or on the flip side, sleeping way too much, 133 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: have cravings, particularly for high energy foods like sugar and carbs. 134 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: Have difficulty concentrating. That was a big one for me. 135 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: And then some of those other symptoms that we can 136 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: sometimes see you as a bit more severe, feeling really 137 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: hopeless or worthless or guilty, questioning your worth and your 138 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: value or your kind of meaning in life. And then 139 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: again kind of falling into a bit of a pit 140 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: of despair, almost when those winter months kind of fall 141 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: on us each year, feeling like this is some inescapable 142 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: kind of hell for the next a little while, and 143 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: really struggling to get your mind around that and feel 144 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: like you can function in this kind of season. Obviously, 145 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: this can vary from person to person, and these symptoms 146 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: can also linger for quiet sometimes sometimes, like we said, 147 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: past the actual season up to five months. But normally, 148 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: in order to get a diagnosis of seasonal effective disorder, 149 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: if you go to a professional or a clinician, it 150 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 1: does need to be kind of contained in a particular 151 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: season or in a particular kind of a weather environment, 152 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: I guess is the best way to put it. So 153 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 1: I'm sure we can all see how difficult this may 154 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: be for our well being. Right If we spend three 155 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: months or more of the year, depending on where you live, 156 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: in a state of essentially depression and in a state 157 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: of mental and physical hibernation where we're unable to manage 158 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: our everyday lives, it's incredibly difficult to feel optimistic about 159 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: wanting to do things, wanting to be social, wanting to 160 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: go out. Like I said before, this is certainly something 161 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: I've struggled with, and I would even say pretty severely. Obviously, 162 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: I don't think it's any secret from what I've shared 163 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: on the show about my experience with antidepressants and anxiety, 164 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,959 Speaker 1: that this is something that has impacted me at various 165 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: periods across my life, especially when I used to live 166 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: in Canberra, which is the capital city of Australia. It 167 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: gets so cold there. I think for many for you 168 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: who might be listening overseas, there is this kind of 169 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: international impression that Australia is this like constantly sunny oasis, 170 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: which is definitely the case if you're living in some 171 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: of the northern parts of the country, but in Canberra 172 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 1: it's like kind of like smack bang in the middle 173 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: of all like the mountains and the cold areas of Australia, 174 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: and we would get these terrible, like bone chilling winters. 175 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: The sun set at like four thirty pm and rise 176 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: at like nine. Maybe for those of you who are 177 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: listening here, I have much longer winters. Doesn't sound very extreme, 178 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: but for me it was so intense. And while I 179 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: lived in Canberra, I used to like track the days 180 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: to the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of 181 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: the year, and I would track down the days. I 182 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: remember it was like June thirtieth or something like that, 183 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: and every year. I would wait for that day, knowing 184 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: that when it reached that point, things would hopefully and 185 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: slowly kind of start getting better for me. I just 186 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: remember this one winter where it was really really hard. 187 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: There are other things going on in my life at 188 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: the time, and I would just sit in bed all 189 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 1: day and almost feel panicked and anxious when the sun 190 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: would set and it would get dark, feeling like I 191 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: had wasted another day, feeling like, oh, I wasn't able 192 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: to get into the sun, I wasn't able to like 193 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: go outdoors. And if you can relate to this, then 194 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: it might be something to consider. It's worth considering whether 195 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: your kind of lapse and you're fall and you're drop 196 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: in mood around the cold winter months might actually be, 197 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: says an all effective disorder. It's not just the winter blues. 198 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: It might actually be some form of clinical depression, especially 199 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: if these feelings and symptoms peak during the colder winter months. 200 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: I think personally, I think this is really exacerbated by 201 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: the concept of the nine to five work week. You know, 202 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: we spend every waking hour of sunlight during winter, either 203 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: in an office or at UNI or in some kind 204 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: of like indoor building like the nine to five period 205 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: is often blocked out by some activity. Normally that's work 206 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: that leaves literally no time before the sunrises and after 207 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: we clock off. Maybe it's like at half an hour 208 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 1: of sunlight during our lunch break. If we can brave 209 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: the cold weather to like eat outside, that's all we get. 210 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,959 Speaker 1: We spend our entire days without exposure to natural light 211 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: on our face and on our skin and on our bodies. 212 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: This is obviously not how any living creature is meant 213 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: to be, Like, you're not meant to be indoors without 214 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: natural sunlight. Like, that's not how our bodies and our 215 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: brains and our systems were made, that's not how they 216 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: have evolved. So when we can't access these kind of 217 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: essentials for life, like the sun, like fresh air, like 218 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: the outdoors, especially when that's exacerbated by the winter months, 219 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: when the sun starts setting a lot earlier and rising 220 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: a lot later and we're kind of working our nine 221 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: to five jobs or pushing through UNI or pushing through exams, 222 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: it can be so detrimental. So this is a great 223 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: segue into our next discussion on why it is that 224 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: seasonal depression occurs and the science and psychology behind it. 225 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: Our next partner has a product I use literally every day. 226 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: I started taking ag One because I've been on a 227 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: bit of a health journey. I wanted to take better 228 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: care of my immune system and my gut health. 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All you have to do 244 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: is visit Athletic Greens dot com slash Gemma again, that's 245 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: Athletic Greens dot com slash Gemma to take ownership over 246 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance. 247 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: So and there are quite a few psychological and biological 248 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: explanations behind why we might experience seasonal effective disorder or 249 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: seasonal depression, and a lot of these answers rest in 250 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: evolutionary psychology. Despite how modern day society operates, you know, 251 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: filled with work and business and social media and screens, 252 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: we have to sometimes remember how our bodies and our 253 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: minds were made to function back when humans were just 254 00:16:55,680 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, simple creatures roaming around, focused on food and security, nature, 255 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: exploring reproduction and survival. These were the activities that our 256 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 1: brains were hardwired to do. And those parts of our 257 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: brains they still exist, they still operate based on the 258 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,719 Speaker 1: same systems, based on the same processes and biology. And 259 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: it's these very systems that can explain why when the 260 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: seasons change, we might experience a shift in mood, such 261 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: as is the case with seasonal effective disorder. So the 262 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 1: first theory is that this form of depression is thought 263 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: to be caused by changes to the bodies circadian rhythm. 264 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: This is otherwise known as the body clock, and our 265 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: circadian rhythm kind of shifts based on the seasons and 266 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: based on the different times of the year. Circadian rhythm 267 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: for those of us who don't know what they are, 268 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: they are physical mental behavioral changes that essentially follow at 269 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: twenty four hour cycles. So these natural processes normally respond 270 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: primarily to life and darkness and affect how we behave 271 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: so they work by so the our circadian rhythm, it 272 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: essentially works by helping to make sure that the body's processes, 273 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: whether that is the release of certain hormones, our body temperature, 274 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: our mood, our wakefulness, our sleep, those processes are optimized 275 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 1: at various times during a twenty four hour period to 276 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: match our environment. So it makes sense that we should 277 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: be sleeping at night because we do not see in 278 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: the dark. It is very difficult for us, so as 279 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: those kind of evolutionary creatures, there's no point being awake. 280 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: Then it's a great period for restfulness. But when the 281 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: sun begins to rise, that's a great time to experience 282 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,439 Speaker 1: a spike in hunger so that we're motivated to go 283 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: out and hunt, or a spike in wakefulness and in energy. 284 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: So all of those systems are controlled by our circadian rhythm, 285 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: and regular cicadian rhythm can have a pretty negative impact 286 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: on a person's ability to sleep and on our ability 287 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: to function properly, and it can result in many health problems, 288 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: such as let's have a guess, seasonal effective disorder. So 289 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: this rhythm, this internal body clock, it's controlled mostly by 290 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: our environment, in particular the presence of sun and daylight hours. 291 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: So when these kind of hours change or shorten because 292 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: of the winter months, it can cause problems. Alternatively, when 293 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: we interrupt this normal cicadian rhythm artificially or unnaturally by 294 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: forcing ourselves to stay awake or something like that, we 295 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: can also experience mood problems. So a lot of evidence 296 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: on this relationship comes from studies of shift workers, so 297 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: people whose sleep periods are out of sync with their 298 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: cicadian rhythm. Let's think, for example, about nurses. That's such 299 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: a great example. People who work shift work. Many of 300 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: them will work at night and then sleep during the day, 301 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: which contradicts the natural cues we're getting from our environment 302 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: and our biology and our body clock to sleep at 303 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: night and then to work, to hunt, to gather during 304 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,960 Speaker 1: the day. So multiple studies show an increased prevalence of 305 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: depression in night shift workers. One meta analysis, it's showed 306 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: that night shift workers are forty percent more likely to 307 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: develop depression than daytime workers, perhaps because they go against 308 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: their circadian rhythm and their body clocks are out of whack, 309 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 1: causing mood swings, difficulty controlling their emotions, and an irregular 310 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: release of hormones. So this is what we get to 311 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 1: the essential science of the matter, and we put everything together. 312 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: So the shorter days during the winter months when seasonal 313 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: depression is most likely to occur, these shorter days they 314 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: confuse our body clock and lead to many of those 315 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: symptoms that we've discussed. Another major reason behind the existence 316 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 1: and occurrence of this disorder is the production and the 317 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: release of melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone that 318 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: our brain releases in response to darkness, and for those 319 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: of us who are familiar with melotonin, it essentially helps 320 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: us sleep. Luckily, the body naturally produces melatonin at night, 321 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:33,239 Speaker 1: and normally it's kind of triggered by darkness and by 322 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,160 Speaker 1: the sun going down, which is why when we stay 323 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: on our phones all night, or stay on our phones 324 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: after the sun's gone down, our brain kind of gets 325 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: confused and we can experience a poorer quality sleep because 326 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: our brain hasn't yet released that melatonin because it thinks 327 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: that we're still active and the sun is still up 328 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 1: due to that artificial light source. So the release of 329 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: melatonin is incredibly important for our sleep and for our 330 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: As sunrise approaches, the levels of melatonin drop, but as 331 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: the sun goes down, the levels of melatonin rise. It's 332 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: why it's known as the dracula of hormones. But if 333 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: you have seasonal effective disorder, melatonin peaks earlier because the 334 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: sun sets earlier, and it lingers for longer in the morning, 335 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: making it harder for you to wake up and leaving 336 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 1: you feeling really fatigued and groggy. In a similar vein, 337 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: it may also be varying levels of serotonin in our 338 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: brain that cause this drop in mood during the winter months. 339 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: This disorder is really related to serotonin, which is often 340 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: known as the happy hormone, and it's often implicated in 341 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: clinical depression and other types of depression, So it makes 342 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,479 Speaker 1: sense that it's linked to seasonal effective disorder. Right if 343 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: you already have an imbalance that can be made worse 344 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: by all of these other other factors combining. You know, 345 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 1: your body clock is off and the melotonin that your 346 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: body needs is not being released at appropriate times. And 347 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: it also may just be that we're less able to 348 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: do the activities that make us happy during the winter 349 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: weather conditions, being outdoors, being in the sunshine at the beach, 350 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: going for a lovely hike, Absorbing vitamin D, which is 351 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: of course important for our bodily functions, seeing our friends, 352 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: having more time after work to be outside. These are 353 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: all really crucial and important contributors to our happiness. So 354 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: when we don't have these because of the weather and 355 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: because of the dark, and because of the cold, this 356 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 1: can also just contribute to our natural behavioral and environmental 357 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: decline in our mood and our overall well being. So 358 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: what can we do about it? Obviously humans are very smart, 359 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: so we have come up with ways to address this. 360 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: We're going to discuss some of those next. I'm guessing 361 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: if you are listening to this episode, it's probably because 362 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: you think you have seasonal depression or you can relate 363 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 1: to some of these symptoms that we have discussed, maybe 364 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: right now, maybe in the past. Luckily, for those of 365 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: us who seasonal effective disorder is a problem for there 366 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: are many many ways around it to ensure that we 367 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: are able to function and live an active, filling life 368 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: even in the gloomy winter months. Humans. I feel like 369 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: I don't need to remind you, but we are incredibly 370 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: adapt you know, there are places in the world that 371 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: are dark for like sometimes half of the year, like 372 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: in Norway. So what do these people do? Obviously they 373 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: have to find ways around it, and these are some 374 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: of the options that humans have come up with. If 375 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: you were to go to a therapist or a professional 376 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: and said I think I have seasonal effective disorder, enlisted 377 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,679 Speaker 1: some of those symptoms that we talked about, one of 378 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: the methods they'd probably suggest first to survive seasonal depression. 379 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: It's called bright light therapy. So this therapy technique, it 380 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: rests on the assumption of the science we discussed before 381 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: that the presence an absence of light, mainly sunlight, is 382 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: the primary contributing factor to seasonal depression. So the aim 383 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: of this therapy is to resynchronize your sleep pattern, resynchronize 384 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: your energy and your wakefulness with the day and night 385 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: cycles that you would prefer. By adding an artificial light 386 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: source into your daily routine, so it essentially compensates for 387 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: the lack of exposure to sunlight during winter that may 388 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: be contributing to major depressive disorders, especially those with seasonal patterns. 389 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: So it's pretty simple. You sit near this like lightbox 390 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: or this lamp. It has to be one that mimics 391 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: natural sunlight, like you can't just have a really bright 392 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: light from IKEA and has to be a specific type 393 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: of light, but it mimics natural sunlight. And studies and 394 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: research has shown that bright light therapy bright light treatment, 395 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: if you do it consistently first thing in the modern morning, 396 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: it drastically improves our mood and the symptoms for a 397 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: vast majority of people with seasonal effective disorder. Pretty amazing, right, 398 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 1: Like kind of simple. You know, we just if we 399 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: don't have enough light, we're not being exposed to sunlight. 400 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: It's like playing games with our mind and with our 401 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:33,160 Speaker 1: mood and without energy. Just add artificial light. Like it's 402 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:38,160 Speaker 1: pretty self explanatory. Another effective option is cognitive behavioral therapy 403 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: or dialectical behavioral therapy, both of which are a form 404 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: of talk therapy that aims to shift our negative or 405 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 1: unhelpful beliefs and ways of thinking, The way that we 406 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 1: think about things, the way we perceive and process information, 407 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: and the thoughts and emotions we attach to These greatly 408 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: influence how experience the world and our mental state, including, 409 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: as it has been as it has been suggested by 410 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: some researchers, our propensity to experience seasonal depression. So if 411 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: you say things like I hate winter. Winter makes me 412 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: so depressed, I'm going to feel so depressed, what a 413 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: therapist might do is try and reframe and reposition those 414 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: negative thoughts. So even trying to take it down or 415 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: not saying something like I prefer summer to winter, that 416 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: can result in a shift in our perception and therefore 417 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: our shift in our symptoms and in our mood. Because 418 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: cognitive behavioral therapy for seasonal depression involves retraining your negative 419 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 1: thoughts and your negative associations with the darker winter months, 420 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,479 Speaker 1: it is potentially the most effective treatment because it doesn't 421 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: just change your environment, as is the case with out 422 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: of your Light, It actually changes your overall perception and 423 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: you're thinking, of course, there are also medical solutions and 424 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:12,199 Speaker 1: medicinal solutions. I think that's this general perception sometimes that 425 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: medication for any type of mental health disorder is somehow 426 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:21,120 Speaker 1: like cheating or the easy way out. I don't think 427 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: that's the case at all. I hope you don't think 428 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: that's the case. It's just another way of taking care 429 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: of ourselves and assisting our minds and our bodies to 430 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 1: deal with the things that we find heart Sometimes we 431 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: need a bit of extra help. There's no shame in that. 432 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: So if you are struggling with seasonal effective disorder, sometimes 433 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: antidepressants can be something your therapist or healthcare professional might suggest. 434 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: So normally what they'll tell you to take is something 435 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, so something like prozac 436 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: or zoloft or lexapro. If you want more information about this, 437 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: please do your own research, but also if you want 438 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: to hear someone else's experience, I did a whole episode 439 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: on antidepressants and the science behind them. But long story short, 440 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: if your seasonal effective disorder is in some way caused 441 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: by lower levels of serotonin, SSRIs like lexipo or others 442 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: can help get those levels back up to what may 443 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: be normal, and that results in less of a drop 444 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: off in motivation and overall shift in mood and well being. 445 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: In those colder and darker months. So we've discussed medication, 446 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 1: we've discussed cognitive solutions and behavioral interventions, but sometimes a 447 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: change in environment is the best solution and can really 448 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: help us out. A bit of a dose of the outdoors. 449 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: Simply going outside can help boost your mood. If you 450 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: have the opportunity to go somewhere warmer and somewhere brighter, 451 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: even just for a weekend, go to the go somewhere 452 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: nice and sunny. I would really recommend it, and the 453 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: science proves that it would probably help you out. I 454 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: used to do this all the time during the winter 455 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 1: in Canberra. I would drive up to Queensland in the 456 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: colder months for a few weeks during my UNI breaks. Honestly, 457 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: game changer. It was such a game changer when I 458 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: was dealing with seasonal depression. You know, any kind of excursion, 459 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: any kind of vacation, it's most likely going to just 460 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,239 Speaker 1: boost your mental health overall, and a massive benefit if 461 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: there's sunshine involved. Even finding a few minutes to walk 462 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: outside just to help you get more natural light, or 463 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: sit near a window when you're at work, when you're 464 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,479 Speaker 1: at UNI, wherever you are, can be really helpful. Another 465 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: thing I would do would be replacing the things that 466 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: I really love doing in summer was something that I 467 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: could do in winter so that I didn't have to 468 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: lose that sense of enjoyment and my hobbies. You know, 469 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: if my favorite summer I love swimming in the ocean, 470 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: but having a swim in an indoor pool, going to 471 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: the sauna, going to the spa, that's also great and 472 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: it also brings me a lot of joy. If you 473 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:16,719 Speaker 1: really like going for hikes out in summertime, based on 474 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: where you live, you could still do that. Maybe, you know, 475 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: chuck on your big old puff a jacket, go for 476 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: a little walk around, put a scarf on, put your 477 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: headphones on, grab a coffee, make an adventure of it. 478 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: Find activities that still bring you joy, or planned for 479 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: things to look forward to in the future, to look 480 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: forward to when it gets warmer, like a vacation or 481 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: going home to see your family, anything that's going to 482 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: make you feel optimistic and kind of bolster your mood 483 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: and your overall wellbeing and your mental outlook on life. Finally, 484 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: I will say, don't blame yourself. I think there's often 485 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: a massive stigma and a massive culture of experiencing any 486 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: form of mental illness or a disorder like seasonal depression, 487 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: and feeling like it's because we're not doing enough, because 488 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: we're lazy, because YadA, YadA, YadA. The list goes on 489 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: and on. I'm not going to entertain them. It is 490 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: absolutely not your fault. This is natural. It's a change 491 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: in the weather, it's a change in your body clock, 492 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: in your melatonin levels, in your ability to do things 493 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: that you love. It's in no way your fault. But 494 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: I do hope that by being educated a little bit 495 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: more about the science, you found it useful. Sometimes psycho 496 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: education and knowledge can be incredibly empowering, so that we 497 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: have a better understanding of what it actually is and 498 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: a better understanding of the science and the psychology behind 499 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: these things, why these things occur. And I also hope 500 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: that if you are someone who is experiencing seasonal depression 501 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: right now, that you feel a little bit less alone. 502 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: I've been through it, so many of my friends have 503 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: you know that stuff we talked about, One in ten 504 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: people will have some form of seasonal effective disorder throughout 505 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: their life, So you are definitely not alone. There are 506 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 1: definitely things to get through it. And you know the 507 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: best thing about the seasons is that they always change. 508 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: And there will be summer again, there will be sunlight again. 509 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. If you made it 510 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: this far, you're my best friend. Thank you for listening 511 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: to the show. Thank you for supporting the show and 512 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: joining for another episode. If you found this helpful, if 513 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 1: this was something that you enjoyed, please feel free, if 514 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: you feel cool to do so, to leave a five 515 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. 516 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: Make sure to follow only if you want to, so 517 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: that you know when new episodes are released. And thank 518 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: you for listening along. I will be back on Friday 519 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: for another episode of the Psychology of Your Twenties.