Autumn Leaves
OK, I don’t usually ask you for anything, but I’m going to start this post with a favor. Stop what you’re doing and listen to a song for me please. Eva Cassidy, Autumn Leaves. It’s on your streaming service, or you can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXBNlApwh0c
If you’re back after listening to it, thank you. If you skipped the music and kept reading, you might want to talk to someone about your oppositional nature.
Do you love this time of year? The first morning with a chill in the air. Sounds of leaves crunching beneath your feet. Pumpkins emerge from their hibernation and find their way into many overpriced drinks and breads. Harvest time. No frost to scrape yet, no snow to shovel, but jeans and sweatshirts are coming out. The fire pit and the s’mores hit different.
But for close to 17 million people in the US (give or take), the birth of Autumn signals a postcard from an unsavory character that they haven’t heard from in many months: Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s one of the few distressing maladies that is calendar specific. Unless you also suffer from Samhnainophobia, which is the fear of Halloween. Which I might have a mild case of. Actually my specific strain of this phobia is called IHateHalloweenYardDecorationsophobia. I’m also treatment resistant to this condition.
What Is S.A.D.?
If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), then you have had two or more major depressive episodes which occur in Fall and Winter, with remission of those symptoms during other times of the year. The depressive symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Maybe that last line hangs you up. Maybe you experience a downward mood shift when the days get shorter and the nights get longer, but you don’t have significant distress or impairment. The DSM doesn’t really address this, and please note this is not in any way a clinical term, but I’ve encountered quite a few people who have more of a SAD lite. Not quite impairing someone’s job or relationships, not quite significant distress. Maybe even not quite a major depressive episode. For them, the Fall and Winter always signifies what some call a low mood. A tendency to reduce physical activity. A tendency to isolate. A tendency to experience melancholy. Maybe dig up old relational bones. Maybe dwelling on past mistakes. Maybe being a little more hard on oneself. Maybe a few more tears than usual.
What Can I Do About It?
Whether you experience full blown SAD or its lesser relative, maybe this is the year you decide to fight it a little. Instead of just tapping out. You might consider doing a few things differently this Fall. In addition to joining me in a boycott of all things Pumpkin Spice, consider the following:
1. Swim Upstream. Research supports the idea that if we behave in a certain way, our mood has a tendency to follow. If you naturally slow down your physical activity during this season, work against that tendency with a commitment to maintaining some level of exertion. I know Summer makes it easy to get outside and play. I know how easy it is to sleep in under the covers when there’s a chill in the air (or snow on the ground). But moving. And sweating. And getting your blood moving and your body warm will improve your SAD or SAD Lite symptoms. Get on a treadmill, wear a sweatshirt, put on your summer playlist, and move your body for 20 minutes. The sense of accomplishment afterwards will overshadow how hard it was to get on there in the first place. Probably. More than probably. Likely. Come to think of it, I’ve never been disappointed in myself after a workout.
2. Move Toward the Light. Get on Amazon and check out the Suxio Light Therapy box. Easy and economical, using this device for a few minutes each morning has shown to be beneficial to restoring circadian rhythms and even promoting increased serotonin production. You might feel a little goofy doing it, but I’ll take Goofy over Grumpy. They also make dawn simulators, sometimes combined with alarm clocks, that will fill your room with a natural light in the morning, giving a big middle finger to the cold darkness outside your window.
3. Good Company. Most people with this seasonal condition tend to isolate more during the fall and winter. Being intentional about setting lunches and time with friends is crucial. I know you don’t want to do it. Do it anyway. Treat social contact as a prescription. There’s some neat brain science behind what happens when we are in the company of others vs. isolation. Look for ways to volunteer. Become a seasonal therapy client. Over the years I’ve had clients that I saw only a few times a year, from October to March.
4. Heat It Up. Around me there’s a few services that might come in handy during this time of year. We have Lexington Salt Caves, owned by a friend, Lara Levine. It’s like going to the beach! Salt air, ocean sounds, etc. Halotherapy is worth a google. We have Saunas, Hot Bodies Massage, Hot Yoga, climbing gyms, you get the picture. Try one that sounds good to you and warm those bones up! Despite our social tendencies, humans don’t hibernate. But we do tend to move a little slower in the cold. Mainly because the body has to work harder to maintain functioning in the cold. So we have a natural tendency to conserve energy when the temperatures drop. Intentionally exposing oneself to warmth could yield a positive mood shift.
5. Try a Little Nutritional Rebellion. When you think of summer, what foods come to mind? I’ll wager it’s fruits, salads, light fare. And what about Winter? Maybe Chili, breads, cakes, sweets. I had one of my daughters ask about some of my Chili in the heat of summer. My chili is not on the approved list of any cardiac practice. You already know what I said, “It’s not cold enough to make it!” Our ancestors ate heartier foods in the winter to compensate for times when food was more scarce. Well, most of us don’t have the problem now (even though 10% of the population in the US experience food insecurity on a regular basis). Work against your evolution and be intentional about some lighter foods during the colder months. Our traditional winter foods slow the body down because it takes more energy to digest them. Bread bowls, I’m looking at you!
So, if you’ve been paying attention, a typical week during the cold months might include: Hitting that treadmill a little, frequent exposure to light, whether by a light box or just taking advantage of those sunny days, and then maybe a lunch with a friend, followed by a trip to the sauna or salt cave. Then, a fresh salad for dinner instead of the Meat Pie. Sounds awful in December, doesn’t it? I agree, but you and I know something that’s worse than that. If you finished this post, then I’m likely talking to the right people. Go ahead, give it a try this year! Then again, maybe you are contemplating a lotska? Then I’ll see you in the Spring.
