Felt changes in mood with the arrival of autumn? Not uncommon
Blog written by the psychologists at Psinove. We explore topics related to psychology and psychotherapy, daily challenges, and reflections.
The changes of season are times of the year when many people experience changes in their mood. Know what to be aware of and what you can do.
The psychological health of the Portuguese has been, fortunately, a widely debated topic and has taken on a significant proportion since we all became confined due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, frankly, the environmental scenario has not eased: first the war, earlier this year, now an economic crisis exacerbating the negative impact of living so long managing uncertainty in our lives. All these environmental factors are important for our psychological balance and combine with our resilience and individual characteristics to determine at what point we will begin to feel psychological damage derived from this. If we add to this the fact that we are in the midst of autumn, a time when many people experience significant changes in their mood, it is extremely important that we all be alert to signs of psychological distress that may have more frequent and visible manifestations at this time of year.
Seasonal changes, especially the transition from summer to autumn and from winter to spring, are times of the year when many people experience changes in their mood. Most of the time, they manifest as depressive symptoms that can fluctuate in intensity and, sometimes, acquire clinical importance. Environmental changes associated with autumn, such as the drop in temperature or the decrease in daylight time, can directly influence our mood, causing a spiral of symptoms that exacerbate each other. It is common for there to be changes in the pattern and quality of sleep, increased anxiety, irritation, greater isolation and sedentarism, a persistent sadness or demotivation that make days turn into nightmares. With the demands of the environmental context we live in, this autumn promises to be quite demanding in terms of mood regulation.
What should you be aware of?
Important signs are the persistence of demotivation, depressive mood, anxiety, irritability, changes in appetite, changes in sleep, tiredness, loss of energy, concentration, and persistent desire for isolation. We all have bad days, and 's natural, but the persistence of this discomfort over several days, without signs of recovery, should be a warning sign.
What should I do?
There are some lifestyle issues that can help regulate some signs and symptoms. For example, maintaining a physical exercise routine will help, among other things, to regulate anxiety and sleep and can be a very effective strategy to address mood changes. Commitment to an adjusted sleep schedule, which may involve a period of preparation for sleep at night, reducing stimulation in advance or resorting to meditation, is highly recommended, as well as dedication to pleasurable activities, promoting contact with significant people, or good management of pressure in professional life.
When should you seek help?
When mood changes are no longer manageable in the usual daily context, when they cause functional changes or when the suffering they entail significantly interferes with the person's life. There should be a special alert for feelings of worthlessness, lack of meaning in life, or even suicidal ideation. In the case of this last factor, seeking help should be immediate.
Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are the most common approaches for situations where specialized clinical intervention is necessary. They are often approaches with cumulative action, that is, in some situations - which should be evaluated - simultaneous intervention allows for better results. Medication allows for action on substances that influence mood regulation, while psychotherapy addresses the cognitive and emotional processes underlying suffering. It doesn't matter where you start. What matters is knowing that help is available, that improvement is possible, and that you are not alone when dark clouds obscure the horizon.
Article published on Sapo 24
