As winter hits its stride and the vibrant colors of fall turn to gray, the winter blues kick in for some students.
Winter can be a very stressful season. Shopping for Christmas gifts, planning parties, hitting traffic while driving to extended family’s houses and the overall change of weather can be a huge burden to some individuals.
“I don’t really struggle with seasonal depression as much as I do with the change in weather,” Christine Ingargiola, junior exercise science major, said.
It just gets annoying when it snows because if it gets bad enough you can’t really do anything or go anywhere. On numerous occasions last winter, students were stuck in their dorm rooms because the cold was unbearable or because of the ridiculous amounts of snow on the ground.
“Sunlight can have a direct correlation on one’s mental health. Being that it’s so cold in the winter, not many people venture outside so a lack of sunlight can greatly affect how they feel or act,” Austin Edelman, junior marketing major, said.
Being trapped inside no matter what setting one is in can take a toll on one’s mood. Moving around and exercising helps individuals raise their spirits.
“Another reason I think seasonal depression exists, especially in the winter is because people are always stuck inside and they tend to get a little stir crazy,” Edelman said.
One aspect as to how or why people get depressed during certain seasons may be because illnesses affect individuals more in colder seasons than in warmer seasons. When one is sick, he or she most likely will have to stay inside and not engage in any physical activity because it usually downgrades your physical health even more. Not engaging in physical activity and being crammed inside can lead to a change in ones mood.
“Being sick isn’t only annoying because I don’t feel good but also because I can’t engage in anything. When I am sick not only does my body shut down but also my ability to be social with my friends. I don’t know how to explain it, I guess my mood just kind of goes off of what is happening around me,” Jamie Rufo, sophomore marketing major, said. “In the winter I’m too lazy and would rather sit in bed then go to the gym and work out. The weather is too cold and that also is bad for me because I think I’m fat so I’d rather just take pills to lose weight than actually exercise.”
