Take Note of Your Mood as Spring Comes
Posted on March 26, 2024
Although winter is the most challenging time of the year for maintaining mental health, for people with anxiety and depression, spring can also be challenging. Everyone expects to feel a bit down when the skies are grey and the cold weather is here. But when it starts to warm up and the sun comes out, most people start to feel better. For those who are prone to springtime depression, watching everyone around you feel better when you do not means spring can be difficult.
If springtime is a difficult time for you, here are some steps you can take to deal with the change
of seasons:
- Connect with supportive people. Try to connect with the people who make you smile and with whom you feel comfortable. Plan a night out, a night in playing cards or games, or some other social interaction.
- Find social balance and activities. Everyone needs different amounts of social interaction. Pay attention to what balance works best for you.
- Be conscious of isolation. Social isolation and loneliness can result in higher risk for a variety of medical conditions, including high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Some people enjoy being alone and are able to balance this with the right amount of social interaction for them.
- Helping others improves your health. The National Institute on Aging has supported research that shows having a sense of mission and purpose in life is linked, not only to a sense of connection and satisfaction, but also to healthier immune cells. Volunteering or caregiving for others also helps people feel less lonely.
- Get some sunshine. Spring can be rainy, but when the sun does shine, the brightness can give us a mental lift. Try to get outside, even for a few minutes, when the sun is out.
- Maintain your sleep patterns. Getting enough sleep has a huge effect on your mental health.
- Tend to your physical health. There is a proven connection between exercise and better mental health. Yoga, dancing, or even just going up and down the stairs are great examples of indoor exercise. As it warms up, you can walk outside.
Springtime depression is common and treatable. If you find yourself getting sad in the spring, please know that you are not alone. Take steps to connect and be healthier. Seek help from licensed clinicians and, if you are in crisis, don’t wait; call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or go to your nearest hospital.
Reminder: As a Health New England member, you have Behavioral Health coverage, which includes mental health and substance use disorder. For help finding an outpatient mental health provider, please call our Member Services team toll-free at (877) 443-3314 (TTY: 711) or search our Provider Directory at healthnewengland.org/medicare.
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