Recently, I have been hearing a lot of my peers discuss their exhaustion with school and life, declaring they are “burned out” or “in a slump.” While academic and athletic pressure can certainly pile up as we near the middle of the school year, the truth is that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can also play a significant role in one’s mood. 

SAD is a type of depression caused by changes in weather, specifically reduced sunlight. The sun triggers the production of serotonin, a “happiness chemical” and increases Vitamin D. Living in Oregon, it is rare to see a sunny day during the late fall and winter months. With less serotonin produced, people are prone to irritability and lack of motivation, leading students to have this feeling of burnout and exhaustion.

Research from the Sleep Foundation indicates that even small changes in daylight can affect one’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the body’s system that regulates melatonin and cortisol, the sleep and alertness hormones. With daylight hours shrinking, one may experience a feeling of fatigue earlier in the day since the sun sets around 4 p.m. Combined with daylight savings, the body’s internal and external clocks are even less aligned. This can lead to inconsistent sleep, extended morning grogginess and overall fatigue. All of these symptoms seem to compare consistently to the problems my friends and other peers have been reporting, leading me to believe SAD is more widespread than publicly acknowledged. 

Physical activity also helps regulate mood, ensuring stress levels stay grounded and mental health remains positive. With dropping temperatures and rainy weather, student athletes are less likely to practice on outdoor fields and tracks. Limited physical activity can worsen stress induced by schoolwork or poor sleep, leading to overall mental unease. 

By realizing their sleep schedule may be at fault, or recent physical inactivity has caused fatigue and stress, hopefully students can work to fix their mental health and defeat this winter slump!