Expert advice: how to cope with the autumn blues

What is the autumn blues and its causes?

What influences our mood, well-being and motivation? Why do we dislike it so much when summer ends and have a hard time experiencing the cold season? To answer all these questions, let's figure out what the autumn blues are .

Blues is a mental condition that is accompanied by feelings of anxiety, sadness, despondency, irritability and other negative emotions. But in essence, the autumn blues are a natural reaction to a change in biorhythm.

reason for the autumn blues . A number of factors that influence its appearance include:

• Melatonin . From a scientific point of view, the causes of autumn depression are that the body begins to secrete more of a hormone called melatonin or the sleep hormone. It is produced when it is dark outside, calling the body to sleep. With the onset of autumn, the days shorten, and accordingly the production of melatonin increases. Its excess causes the autumn blues.
• Exacerbation of chronic diseases . Another reason for the blues in the fall is the exacerbation of chronic diseases. Since immunity decreases due to cold weather, colds may also appear, which do not have the best effect on well-being and mood.
• Excessive loads . After summer holidays and bright weekends, it can be difficult to get into the mood for work. But it is in the fall that you need to start studying, active work and more. There is a lot of hassle that causes stress and excessive tension.
• Plans . Those who are used to planning their lives cannot say goodbye to the feeling of dissatisfaction. Didn't have time to relax, visit a new country or read a hundred books over the summer? All of this can affect your mood and leave you feeling frustrated.
• Lack of serotonin . It is the deficiency of serotonin or the hormone of happiness that causes autumn blues in people. If in summer life is full of bright events and memories, then with the onset of the cold season it can be difficult to get enough of it. By the way, the lack of sunlight plays an important role here.

Did you know that autumn depression often appears in people who suffer from low self-esteem, suspiciousness, impressionable and pedantic individuals? In addition, blues are more common in women than in men. It is also often found among schoolchildren who have poor academic performance.

Stop worrying about the future

The real problem is not that we worry about future events. The problem is what pictures we paint in our heads.

We really don’t know what will happen tomorrow or in a week, and, of course, we cannot guess how other people will behave and how events will turn out. To fill this void we use our imagination, and, as we know, the sleep of the mind gives rise to monsters. Hollywood scriptwriters never dreamed of the scenarios we can run through in our heads when we worry about something.

But, nevertheless, these are just thoughts.

In classical psychoanalysis there is such a thing as “projection of reality.” What we see in other people or events is, first of all, the work of our mind and our perception of reality. If you dig really deep, then, in fact, no one in this world sees it as it is: for everyone the world is structured differently. For some it seems like a heavenly place, for others it seems like a real hell.

By understanding and accepting that our anxiety is based on our thoughts, and not on how things are in reality, it can be combated. I like Katie Byron's Work Technique, which I described in Happiness in the City: As soon as you catch yourself worrying about something, start doubting and asking yourself questions. Do I have irrefutable evidence that this is exactly what will happen? Am I 100% sure that this person thinks this way? And so on. Direct your energy constructively and to fight real, not fictitious problems, and the autumn blues will pass.

I recommend reading: my “Happiness in the City”, as well as “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” by Dale Carnegie

Symptoms and signs of autumn blues

How to recognize autumn depression and what symptoms are associated with it? As we said, the autumn blues are more typical for people who are prone to stress and isolation. But how to recognize the first symptoms of depression in the fall? Let's study in more detail.

Autumn blues symptoms:

• bad mood or frequent changes, melancholy, despondency, tearfulness;
• apathy and reluctance to do anything;
• lack of interest in things that previously brought pleasure;
• reluctance to communicate with loved ones, friends, and make new acquaintances;
• it is difficult to concentrate on work and do it well;
• irritability;
• feeling unwell during the day, lethargy and drowsiness;
• poor sleep, lack of sleep;
• dissatisfaction with oneself and others, decreased self-esteem, excessive criticism of oneself;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• anxiety and excessive worry.

The presence of all these symptoms indicates that you have succumbed to general despondency and are in the grip of the autumn blues.

Defeating the autumn blues means raising your own self-esteem

The autumn mood in personal development should bring the desire to work on oneself even more intensively and responsibly. It won’t be a mistake if you prepare yourself for possible blues in advance and think about how to deal with it in the summer.

It is very important to find transitional tasks that would adapt you to the new season and distract you from unnecessary thoughts. For example, if you spent the summer reading, but did not have enough time for it, it is worth repeating to yourself: “In the summer I read little, because there were so many temptations to go to the mountains, to the beach, to ride a boat, but autumn is ahead, and I will certainly I’ll make up for it.”

If you manage not to become slack, but, on the contrary, succeed in working on yourself in the fall, you will raise your self-esteem. You will gain self-confidence, and you will mentally praise yourself for not giving up, but for achieving new successes. But the most important thing is that you will have a precedent. You will never again be afraid of the coming autumn, but will remember that there is nothing terrible in the seasonal blues. It is possible and necessary to defeat her, and there is no need to worry about it.

How to get rid of the autumn blues?

How to overcome the autumn blues and stay in a good mood, no matter what? There is no universal advice here. But the first thing you need to understand is that with the arrival of autumn, life goes on. There is no point in suffering because the weather is not so sunny and night comes much earlier. Just accept it as it is and don't stress yourself out.

How to cope with the autumn blues?

1. Play sports . Physical activity saves you in any life situation. The production of the happiness hormone during exercise will give you energy, and a beautiful and toned body will improve your mood in any weather!
2. Eat right . Another universal tip that will help you stay in a good mood. By eating right, you take care of not only your health, but also your mood. By getting the necessary elements and vitamins with food, you feel great throughout the day.
3. Take care of yourself . Don't forget that you are the best and most valuable thing you have. Remember to take care of yourself and enjoy yourself.
4. Decorate the house . You can't even imagine how much this improves your mood. After all, it’s more pleasant to return after a hard day at work to a cozy room, beautifully decorated with garlands, with a warm blanket and a stack of favorite books on the shelf. We have already described how to make your home more comfortable in our previous article.
5. Change your wardrobe . Have you noticed that during the cold season everyone prefers dull black and gray tones in clothes? Don't give in to this trend and brighten up your wardrobe with bright colors. Bright orange sweaters, a beige coat, instead of a black jacket - all this will delight you every day.
6. Communicate more. Autumn is not a reason to forget about meeting friends and spending time with loved ones. So what if now you can’t sit on a cozy summer terrace or walk all night long? But you can spend a soulful evening at home, by candlelight and good music.
7. Read more . The most comfortable time for reading books is autumn. Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket, grab a big cup of tea or cocoa and immerse yourself in the world of your favorite characters or learn something new from self-development books. By the way, don't forget about our list of books you can't put down.
8. Watch movies and TV series . Another way to have a pleasant and sometimes very useful time. On our website you will find films that everyone should watch and TV series to cure the autumn blues.
9. Keep a diary . A great way to overcome the autumn blues is to start a diary in which you can write down all your plans, goals, achievements, mood and more. Clear planning will help you get as many things done as possible and forget about your bad mood. By the way, along with this point, we advise you to build the right daily routine.
10. Get creative . When, if not now, can you devote a lot of time to your favorite activity? Knit a scarf for the winter, cross-stitch a picture, make decorations with your own hands - remember what your soul is passionate about!
11. Drink herbal teas . They are natural sedatives that will not harm you. Try a decoction based on chamomile, thyme, lemon balm or lavender.
12. Take a walk in the fresh air . Following our previous recommendations, don't forget about walking outside. Take your family and friends with you and enjoy their wonderful company.

If all the above tips do not help, and the blues have lasted for more than a few weeks, we suggest you seek help. A specialist will help you overcome a difficult period in your life and determine what you are really suffering from: the autumn blues or depression.

Autumn blues - how to deal with it?

Summer has gone, taking with it the warmth and carefree mood, and it has been replaced by autumn with cold weather, fog and dank rain.
In September, autumn delights the eye with a riot of colors, but closer to winter, not a trace remains of its former grandeur.

Looking at the surrounding grayness and wrapping themselves in a coat against the cold, millions of people are faced with the autumn blues.

In fact, the autumn blues are a temporary depression caused by the change of season; it is called autumn depression.

It gets cold quickly, it gets dark early, people don’t get enough sunlight and cannot, as before, relax in nature or take a walk in the park.

It’s no wonder that against this background many of us experience a number of unpleasant symptoms , such as:

• causeless sadness and melancholy; • reluctance to communicate; • apathy and daytime sleepiness; • restless sleep and morning fatigue; • anxiety and worry; • fussiness and decreased attention; • problems with appetite;

• muscle cramps and frequent headaches.

This condition can haunt a person for more than three months, which means something needs to be done about it!

Here are the 8 best ways to combat the autumn blues.

Reconsider your diet

Autumn is a fertile time for proper nutrition. There is an abundance of vegetables and fruits around, which can perfectly combat the autumn blues.

It is better to consume such products in the form of salads so that they enter the body raw. Salads add lightness and restore lost tone.

To prevent your mood from being overshadowed by colds, take care of your immunity. To do this, please yourself more often with various nuts and consume fermented milk products.

And you can compensate for the lack of vitamin D with a minimum of sunlight with low-fat sea fish, seafood and eggs.

By the way, make it a rule to turn your meals into a real holiday! Open a cookbook, prepare an unusual dish that will delight you with a new taste and surprise your loved ones.

Even if you are far from cooking, preparing a new, interesting dish will instantly drive away the blues!

Get a good night's sleep

Many people do not pay enough attention to the fact that in the fall, when the body adjusts to “winter mode,” a person needs more time to sleep.

If in the summer 5-6 hours of rest were enough for you, and you felt relatively alert, then in late autumn such a lack of sleep will result in morning lethargy, apathy and daytime drowsiness.

Set yourself to sleep at least 7 hours a day. To do this, try to go to bed no later than 23:00, and to have a sound sleep, do not overeat at night, do not forget to ventilate the bedroom, and take a warm bath before going to bed.

Such simple manipulations will allow you to wake up cheerful and in a good mood.

By the way, many people, even getting enough sleep at night, feel an irresistible desire to take a nap during the day. Don’t give up on this idea, because in many countries around the world, napping during the day is considered the norm.

It is only important not to go to bed later than 16:00 and not to sleep for more than an hour.

Get energized in the morning

In the fall, waking up is more difficult than usual, and a gloomy mood in the morning is the key to apathy and depression for the whole day. To set the tone for the whole day, try to start it actively - with exercises, a morning jog and a contrast shower.

Of course, in the first stages you will have to show willpower, but practice shows that in literally 3 weeks you will instill in yourself this wonderful habit and from now on you will no longer be able to do without a portion of endorphins in the morning.

And this means morning vigor, good mood and high productivity throughout the day!

By the way, you shouldn’t limit yourself to morning activity. An autumn evening is a great time to visit the gym or swimming pool; until dusk you can ride a bike or go for walks.

Remember, when playing sports, the body produces hormones of joy that drive away the autumn blues and prevent the development of depression.

Add color to your life

A dull autumn landscape in gray tones can drive the most cheerful person into depression.

Have you ever noticed that in the fall people even dress in gray tones? This approach does not contribute to a good mood at all.

In order not to fall into the blues, you need to surround yourself with bright colors. Try to wear bright colors, such as a bright red coat or white jacket.

Buy a red handbag to match your boots, treat yourself to a bright umbrella or a stylish skirt in rich colors.

Finally, wear bright lipstick and dye your hair. Your appearance should please the eye, and not cause despondency!

At home, also think about bright colors. To do this, change the window curtains or re-glue the wallpaper. By the way, home renovation can be a wonderful activity that will fill you with inspiration.

Also, fill a vase with ripe colorful fruits and decorate your home with a bouquet of fresh bright flowers.

By the way, in addition to color therapy, pay attention to smells. Fill your home with the uplifting citrus scents of orange and lemon, or relax with lavender and tea tree .

Find an interesting hobby

In the summer you had little time to devote to an interesting hobby. But in the fall, when field work is finished and it’s already dark outside, it’s time to treat yourself to your favorite pastime.

Here you have complete freedom of action, depending on your preferences. If you like to read books, choose interesting reading material, but only in paper binding, to get the full range of emotions from the twists and turns of the plot.

Perhaps you dreamed of learning to dance or learn English, but you didn’t have enough time. Autumn is the perfect time to join a dance group or attend foreign language courses.

You can model or come up with new, interesting dishes, knit or embroider, draw or assemble puzzles, listen to music or write poetry, in general, do whatever brings you joy!

Meet with friends more often

It’s better to experience the autumn blues in good company , and therefore, if you are tormented by melancholy, go to a friend’s house and arrange a get-together over a cup of aromatic tea.

Or maybe it will be mulled wine and interesting games in a large and friendly company.

In general, in order to take a break from the everyday routine and avoid depression, you don’t need to wait for the weekend.

Go to your friends on any weekday, even after work, or better yet, visit the pool, gym or your favorite cottage in good company. Fighting the blues together is much easier!

Go on a trip

Why not? Is it possible to travel only in summer? Take a break and wander the cobblestone streets of Vienna, treat yourself to delicious croissants on the Boulevard Montmartre, or soak up the magic of the East while exploring the architecture of Istanbul.

Or maybe you’ll rush to Thailand or Goa to escape from the gray everyday life, soak up the snow-white sand and dive into the transparent waves of the ocean?

It’s not even about the final destination of your trip, but about the fact that a foreign vacation will allow you to temporarily immerse yourself in a completely different culture and a different climate, get to know new people and their customs, and therefore reboot and get a boost of energy for the whole winter.

You will return home as a completely different person, and the memories of a wonderful vacation will warm your soul for a long time, driving away the autumn blues!

Using our advice, you will not only cope with autumn depression, but also find many reasons to sincerely and wholeheartedly love autumn!

How to distinguish the autumn blues from depression?

How do you understand that the autumn blues hide behind a protracted depression and why you shouldn’t confuse these concepts? Depression is a mental disorder that requires treatment and does not go away on its own. Blues are a seasonal phenomenon that can be quickly resolved with the above methods.

If you notice that the autumn blues last more than 2-3 weeks, your sleep is disrupted and you don’t feel cheerful, you should consider consulting a doctor. Depression is also indicated by problems with weight - sudden weight loss or gain, sleep - insomnia or sleeping for more than 10 hours and a constant feeling of despondency. If you have such signs, you should not let the situation take its course. Take care of yourself and your health!

Brain explosion

“RG - Nedelya” looked into why we tend to call even a slight decrease in mood “depression” and swallow drops and pills, in what cases and how to do without medications, and when it’s really worth running to the doctor.

From the beginning of the year until September, Russians purchased 5.5 million packages of antidepressants worth 2.6 billion rubles, DSM-Group told RG - Week. These are prescription medications that are prescribed by a doctor. As for freely sold sedatives, almost 7 billion rubles were spent on them, 123 million packages were purchased. The outdated, according to experts, Corvalol and Valoserdin, as well as tinctures of valerian, peony and motherwort, are still popular among the people.

“Actually, a “seasonal” increase in sales of sedatives in the fall is common,” Sergei Vetoshkin, a psychiatrist and head of the medical rehabilitation department of a psychoneurological dispensary, told RG - Nedelya. “Many people feel a loss of strength, anxiety, and low mood at this time and rush to drink something soothing. But you still need to distinguish between what is just a temporary “blueness” (by the way, psychiatrists do not have such a term in use), and where there are really signs of depression or bipolar disorder. A person is unlikely to be able to cope with this on his own, and therefore it is worth seeking help from a psychiatrist.”

A triad of symptoms indicates depression: this is not only a persistent decrease in mood, but also a decrease in motor activity and mental activity. “It’s hard for a healthy person to believe, but when depression sets in, as my patients say, it’s difficult to force yourself not only to work, but even just to get out of bed, go wash and brush your teeth,” says Sergei Vetoshkin. “Another sure sign: with depression, a person cannot “pull himself together” - and persuading his relatives to make such attempts, his well-being only worsens.”

If this condition continues for more than two weeks, if performance does not return, especially if thoughts about the meaninglessness of life or unwillingness to live begin to occur, you should definitely go to a psychiatrist. The attention and help of loved ones is important here - they should try to convince the patient that the doctor will definitely help. He will figure out what is the cause of the disease and what exactly is happening: is it depression, bipolar affective disorder or something else.

In milder conditions, you can try to help yourself. And even without taking medications.

Specifically

A lack of sunlight leads to a decrease in mood due to a decrease in the duration of daylight hours and cloudy weather, so the first remedy is to provide bright light at home in the evening. You need to dim the lighting an hour or two before bedtime.

Try to get enough sleep, to do this, ensure the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness; Keeping a routine helps - going to bed and getting up at the same time. You need to sleep 7-8 hours.

Increasing physical activity helps well: fitness, swimming, jogging and walking in the fresh air. The movements should be rhythmic, for example, if you like to dance, that’s just great. Meditation also helps, the ability to relax and just calmly breathe deeply.

Proper nutrition is also important. You shouldn’t aggravate the condition with strict restrictions and diets, but you also shouldn’t overeat and “eat up” stress by consuming sweets.

It is also important to know: the “calming” effect of alcohol and tobacco is a myth. Immediately, by smoking or drinking, you may feel some relief. But then the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction, and things will only get worse.

But laughter therapy is indicated. You can watch comedies, read something funny, chat with positive friends. But this only works if there is no depression. Otherwise, the condition may worsen.

Change your daily routine

Now the length of daylight hours is rapidly decreasing. Plus, if you are studying at a university or you already have children who have returned to kindergarten and school, a stressful state will accompany the change in your daily routine.

Try to sleep at least 7 hours, and preferably 8-9 - this way you will support your immunity during colds and give yourself strength for the coming day.

It is important to sleep in complete darkness - close the curtains tightly, and to wake up easily in the morning, buy a light alarm clock.

We think more positively, more positively!

It is now fashionable to use the word “depression” to describe anything: despondency, fatigue, chronic lack of sleep.
Meanwhile, with the typical autumn blues, the simplest actions can help. Movement

. Exercise in the morning, as best you can. Warm up - in the office at lunch, as you wish. And dancing - in the evening with the family, as you wish. And definitely walks: with headphones, with your best friend, with your beloved dog, with children - racing through puddles, with your husband - in his arms through the same puddles. The main thing: the novelty of the route.

Creation

. Drawing will teach you perseverance. The camera will make you look at the sky more often. Swimming will strengthen frayed nerves. And batik will develop the ability to think creatively. In any case, your body will be grateful to you if you devote a couple of hours a week to yourself!

To the doctor!

Start taking vitamins to strengthen your immune system. Don’t get too carried away with all kinds of energy drinks (balms, eleutherococcus, coffee) - they can have a bad effect on blood vessels and the heart. Go to the infrared sauna or solarium. Another newfangled service is chromotherapy, which uses invigorating orange and yellow light lamps. Light carries the necessary charge to the organs and activates life processes.

The psychotherapist named ways to combat autumn depression

The coming cold and sad thoughts about the past summer can cause blues and lead to the development of autumn depression. This was stated by child psychologist and family psychotherapist Natalya Naumova in a comment to the Federal News Agency.

In countries with a pronounced seasonality of seasons, people especially look forward to summer and have high hopes for it. In this regard, the arrival of autumn is perceived by many as the end of something good.

“We always look forward to summer. It is associated with relaxation and a lot of plans: meeting friends, going on vacation. But summer is ending, children are returning to school, and parents are returning to work. The weather is also getting worse. People begin to perceive the situation in such a way that “all the good things are behind us,” and now there will only be dreary autumn weather. This makes my soul sad. Our perception shapes our mood. If you think that “everything is bad,” sad thoughts will form melancholy, melancholy and sadness, and then resentment and anger,” explained Natalya Naumova.

So, how to maintain a good mood during the rainy season and not give in to despondency? In a conversation with FAN, the specialist named several ways to combat autumn depression.

Planning

“In order to be in a good mood and not fall into despondency or some kind of depressive disorder, it is important to monitor your daily routine. Everything must be clearly planned. People who have clear plans and a lot of things planned, as a rule, do not get depressed. This is such prevention,” said Natalya Naumova.

Walks

The psychotherapist advises not to forget about walks among important things. They are beneficial for the psychological health of not only children, but also adults.

“There must be daily walks. For adults, at least an hour, and for children, at least three hours a day,” the specialist noted.

Exercise stress

Our moral state is directly affected by our physical state. This is why the psychotherapist advises exercising daily.

“You should allocate at least 15-30 minutes a day for physical exercise. When a person performs them, the level of serotonin in the blood increases. Accordingly, a person becomes happier, more cheerful and better. Serotonin is also produced if we eat something sweet and tasty or meet with friends. This is what we will do,” the specialist advised.

Small pleasures

It is equally important to take time for yourself and please yourself, Natalya Naumova emphasized. You cannot forget about this even in the flow of everyday worries.

“You must definitely find time for yourself, for some pleasant things, for meeting with friends. It is very important to schedule not only work activities, but also pleasant events: for example, going to a store or restaurant,” advised Natalya Naumova.