Source: Dumb Little Man
Does winter get you down? You’re not alone; one in three Americans say that winter has a negative impact on their mood and energy at work with one in four naming January as the worst month.
But what happens when the winter blues go too far, leaving us fatigued, uninterested, and depressed?
Seasonal depression affects millions of adults and children in the US. As symptoms continue untreated, Seasonal Affective Disorder becomes more common.
Sunlight Affects Us More Than We Realize
There is a reason we are so drawn to the outdoors on a balmy summer day. Physiologically, sunlight does more for us than just warm up our skin.
Nearly every cell in our body is a vitamin D receptor hungrily soaking in the essential nutrition that we can’t get from just diet alone. Responsible for our immune function, bone growth and health, and increasing the quality of absorption of other essential vitamins, vitamin D deficiencies can be alarming.
Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to frequent colds and other illnesses, tiredness growing to fatigue, and even depression — symptoms that are eerily similar to the experiences of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Vitamin D needs aside, yet not discounting its necessity, light has other effects on our bodies and minds more than we physically see. In our eyes are cells known as ipRGCs or Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells.
Though these cells are located within the mammalian eye, they don’t contribute to image-forming vision in any way, and instead manage pupil reflexes in relation to light, circadian rhythms, mood, and energy levels.
When reduced daylight and more time spent indoors encourage abnormal or lack of signaling for ipRGCs, we can begin to feel tired during the day. We feel restless at night and depressed during our waking hours. Think something along the lines of light-induced jet lag.
- Disrupted…
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