Mental health during the changing season

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The gradual change in everything around is wonderful. The crispness in the air. The beautiful colors of the leaves. It’s such a cozy season. Then one random day, I wake up and something feels different.

It’s subtle at first, but I notice myself starting to change. I become more negative, gloomy and find it hard to be happy. This may be relatable for you, maybe it’s not. You might isolate yourself or start to find it harder to get tasks done. Maybe your homework is a struggle, and everything starts to become more exhausting.

This is what I like to call the seasonal slump. For some people, it could even be seasonal depression (but we aren’t going to self-diagnose). You may not experience it personally, but at least one person you know does.

Why am I bringing this topic to light? Whether you are aware or not, mental health is something that every person deals with. Many people experience chronic struggles, while for others it’s only temporary. As fall comes and goes into winter, it’s important to be aware of how you and the people around you are doing. It’s easy to get caught up in what is going on around you.

It’s important to take care of yourself. No matter what your day- to-day life looks like, mental health is something you should prioritize. With midterms coming up, finals and then the holidays after, it’s easy to get lost.

Take a step back and ask yourself how you’re doing. Be present in the moment. Put yourself before all of the things that are going on in your life. Most of the time, if you catch yourself feeling down before it gets severe, it’s much easier to change.

You may not be struggling and that is okay too. Whether you are dealing with changing mental health or not, you can and should still prioritize yourself.

Whether it’s once a week or once a day, I challenge you to do something you enjoy. Go for a walk outside. Listen to your favorite music. Sit down and binge watch an entire season of your favorite show. It can be small or big, but it will help, even if it’s gradual.

I forget all the time that I am just as important as everything that goes on in my life. You are important, too. You are much bigger than your problems. I also have to remind myself that it’s okay to struggle. Everyone around you is going through something that you may never know about.

I understand that it can be very difficult to change things. Your mental health is not something that improves with the push of a button. It takes work to make improvements and see a difference. That’s why it’s important to be self-aware. Even if it feels useless and dumb, putting effort into yourself is never a waste of time.

Change will never happen unless you put in the work. There areis always resources and people that are there to support you, but they can’t do the work for you. I know it’s not easy, but you I know you can do it.

If you are struggling or have noticed yourself feeling different than normal, I urge you to do something. It may even be that you notice someone else is struggling. If you can’t or aren’t able to help support them, help them find resources that can. Life can always get better.

As the first week of October passes, enjoy the change, but don’t forget to be mindful of yourself.