Changing seasons can bring different weather (depending on where you live, of course) and new opportunities to appreciate the little things that make life so special. As fall shifts into winter, you can take the time to step on crunchy leaves, drink apple cider and spend an afternoon watching movies with your family. But as the seasons shift, you might experience changes in your mood and habits without even realizing it.

Understanding the shifts in your mood and habits, both good and bad, that stem from the new season, can help you determine if additional support is needed or when adjustments need to be made. The goal is to prioritize your overall well-being as you continue to handle whatever the new season throws your way. 

Here are a few ways that your lifestyle may be impacted by changing seasons:

• Changing routines impact stress levels.

Depending on your life circumstances, there may be shifts in your everyday routine as you approach the last few months of the year. Perhaps you have kids who have weather-specific extracurriculars or you work a seasonal job. There’s also the approaching holiday season, which often requires a lot of planning.

Changing responsibilities and habit adjustments can often bring heightened levels of stress, which may contribute to or cause anxiety symptoms that interfere with your ability to carry out necessary tasks. The stress can also make it harder to fully engage in seasonal activities.

• Financial and social obligations cause distress. 

The fall and winter seasons often bring many opportunities for getting together with the ones you care about. You may have a schedule full of weekend trips, festive dinners and holiday-themed shows. While it’s always nice to make the most of the changing seasons with family and friends, it can cause a strain on both your wallet and your emotional bandwidth, contributing to significant distress. 

The financial strain of attending a lot of seasonal activities, and the energy that it takes to fully engage in those activities, can leave you feeling tired or emotionally drained. Try to set boundaries to protect your financial, physical and emotional well-being.

• There are new opportunities for hobbies.

Hobbies can be beneficial for your mental health. By doing activities that bring you joy, you’re also reducing stress and increasing your self-esteem by completing a certain project. While changing seasons may mean that certain hobbies aren’t the best option for cooler weather (e.g., surfing), they also bring hobby opportunities that embrace the cozy vibes of the season.

There are a variety of hobbies that you can use as self-care during the stress of changing seasons, including:

• Baking
• Knitting
• Reading
• Photography

• Serotonin levels are reduced.

If you’re feeling down in the later months of the year and you can’t identify a particular cause, you might be able to place the blame on the sun. As the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, we experience fewer hours of daylight, which is associated with decreased serotonin activity.

Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter and hormone, sometimes referred to as the “feel-good” hormone, that helps with mood regulation and contributes to positive emotions. Since sunlight is a significant contributor to serotonin production, it’s common for the hormone levels to drop during fall and winter seasons, leading to more negative moods, such as sadness and irritability. Decreased serotonin can also impact your cognitive functioning, such as memory and concentration.

• There’s potential for seasonal depression. 

When you hear about how mental health can be affected during the fall and winter seasons, the conversation often involves seasonal depression. Officially known as major depressive disorder (MDD) with seasonal pattern, seasonal depression affects approximately 5% of the U.S. population in any given year. 

Seasonal depression brings on most of the same symptoms as a primary MDD diagnosis. It can cause overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and fatigue. It can stem from family history as well as fewer hours of daylight. Fewer hours of sun can interrupt your circadian rhythm, which impacts mood regulation.

Even though a new season can be exciting, it’s still important to acknowledge the toll it can take on your everyday life.

If you’re having trouble managing the changes of a new season, it can be helpful to reach out to a therapist to work through the distress. But it’s also OK if you need more intensive support for your mental health beyond regular therapy. That’s where Lightfully’s Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) comes in.

If you feel like the changes from the season have caused overwhelming distress and you’re having trouble carrying on with your everyday life, then a vPHP is worth considering. It provides intensive structured support through a mix of psychiatry, therapy and programming. We can help you take back control of your mental health without needing to go into a medical facility.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.