TYH: Does the gloomy weather have you feeling down?
Has the weather got you down? I can’t be the only one who’s felt like summer hasn’t really felt like summer yet and it might be because of the clouds, and rain…and stormy weather.
If that is the case, it is totally okay, because you are most likely not alone! I spoke to Mary Lu Spagrud the Manager of Education and Projects at the Canadian Mental Health Association in PG and she says that mood changes, affected by weather are completely normal.
When the clouds are covering the earth’s natural vitamin D, it can be hard to produce serotonin in our bodies, and the “blues” can be a natural side effect. Spagrud says that serotonin is the bodies natural anti-depressant, which is produced through vitamin D. “Sunshine is a way that our body can naturally produce serotonin levels, and serotonin is one of those feel good chemicals in our brains. So when we have those bright sunny days we get more serotonin and then we feel better, we feel more happy, we have more energy,” she said.
Spagrud also mentioned that it is important to know the difference between just having the “blues” and possibly having something more serious. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is more serious form of the blues, which Spagrud says would need to be treated differently.