When you have a sad expression on your face around other people, they may ask, “What’s wrong?” It can be frustrating when the answer is “I don’t know.” But that’s also a common feeling.

If you feel sad, but it doesn’t seem like there’s an exact reason for the negative emotions, it can cause thoughts of self-doubt or as if you should simply ignore the emotions. But there actually may be a discernible explanation that you might not expect — the changing seasons.

The transitioning of the seasons can often feel exciting. It can bring new opportunities and much-needed weather changes (depending on where you live, of course). However, it can also affect your mental health.

Why seasonal transitions make you feel sad for no reason

Seasonal transitions that impact your mood, such as more frequent feelings of sadness, is often linked to seasonal depression. In the recent revision of the DSM-5, it’s also known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern. 

Seasonal depression is a type of depression that occurs on a seasonal cycle. It’s most commonly seen during the fall and winter seasons. Fewer hours of sunlight are often deemed as the main cause, affecting your serotonin levels. It may also have a genetic component. It can bring the same symptoms as major depressive disorder, including:

• Overwhelming feelings of sadness or hopelessness
• Lack of energy
• Difficulty finding pleasure in activities you once enjoyed (anhedonia)
• Changes in appetite and sleeping patterns

However, mood changes that occur during seasonal transitions don’t automatically mean that you have seasonal depression. A new season, especially a colder season with less sunlight, can also impact your mental health in different ways, including:

• Stress from the holiday seasons
• Anxiety from change of routines, such as traveling to different areas
• Isolation due to cold weather can cause feelings of sadness and loneliness

So, what can you do?

If you feel sad for no reason, you don’t need to just deal with it and hope the emotions go away, or wait for the next season to come. There are ways that you can take control of your negative emotions, such as: 

• Try bright light therapy

One of the first treatment recommendations for depressive symptoms during seasonal changes is bright light therapy. It involves exposure to artificial sunlight, through a light box, as a way to manage your circadian rhythm when there’s fewer hours of daylight. It can also boost your melatonin levels to help with mood regulation and sleep patterns. 

Bright light is recommended to be exposed to 10,000 lux for 30 minutes each day.

• Prioritize your physical health

Your physical health has a direct connection to your mental health. By trying to get regular exercise, even if it’s just a workout in your home, you’re able to boost the positive hormones in your brain that bring positive emotions while reducing stress.

You should also try to boost the nutrition of your diet. This helps give your body the nutrients it needs to manage your moods and cognitive functions, such as B vitamins (whole grains, lean proteins) and magnesium (nuts, leafy green vegetables).

• Spend quality time with loved ones

A support system is key during mental health challenges, such as feeling sad during seasonal changes. Try to make time for friends and family that bring you positivity and care. If you’re spending holidays with people who you don’t get to see too often, try to be fully engaged and present in the moment.

You can also call up someone you trust to share your emotions and thoughts in a judgment-free space.

• Reach out to a therapist

If you feel like you’re constantly feeling sad for no reason, and it’s impacting your quality of life, talking to a therapist can help. Whether your sadness is seasonal, or it feels like a constant, underlying presence, then a therapist can help you determine the likely causes of the feelings and learn coping mechanisms to manage them. 

If you need more support for your negative thoughts and feelings than what you’re currently receiving from outpatient therapy, a more intensive option is worth looking into. 

At Lightfully, we have three levels of care that can help when you’re feeling sad for no reason and it’s impacting your productivity, relationships and self-esteem. 

• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization Program 
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Programs (vPHP and vIOP)

The framework of all three levels consists of evidence-based, clearly defined, data-driven and whole-person-centered care. Our Precision Care Model allows us to create a comprehensive plan that treats your whole person, not just your sadness. Because you’re more than your mental health challenges.

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.