Fall is officially here! The leaves have changed colors and have fallen to the ground, the temperature is cooling down, and the clock has fallen back an hour. For some people these changes tend to be very favorable and boosts their mental state, but for other people, these changes trigger a sort of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 

SAD is caused by the changes in the seasons but according to the Mayo Clinic, most people have seasonal affective disorder when the seasons change from Summer to Fall/Winter. Symptoms of SAD can vary but the most common symptoms are low energy, insomnia, loss of appetite, and loss of focus. It is important to take notes of these symptoms and if you’re experiencing them and while it is okay to have some off days, if you start to experience these symptoms more drastically and even get to the point of suicidal thoughts, you need to seek a doctor’s help according to psychiatry.org. 

If you’re reading this and you believe you experience these symptoms during changes of the season and you wonder what you can do to treat it, there are multiple ways to treat this very common disorder; Getting as much sun as possible is a very beneficial way of treating SAD, this can be accomplished by going for walks everyday. Other very easy ways to treat SAD are to try and be as social as possible, meaning participating in activities with friends and family. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet are both very good ways to combat this seasonal affective disorder.