By: Rosemary Boeglin <[email protected]>

The skies grow darker, the days are shorter and the not welcoming chill of cold weather sneaks up every year officially on December 21. Not only does it sound gloomy, winter can actually affect people to make them feel as glum on the inside as their surroundings are on the outside.

The medical term for extreme winter blues is SAD (seasonal affective disorder), and it may affect as many as 10 million Americans according to Carol E. Watkins, M.D. and Glenn Byrnes, Ph.D., M.D. of Northern County Psychiatric Associates (NCPA).

Symptoms that typically affect people with SAD are depression, lack of energy, increased need for sleep, craving for sweets and weight gain. In general, these symptoms begin to hit beginning in the fall, peak in the winter and usually subside in the springtime.

Many people, who might not necessarily be affected to the point of being diagnosed with SAD, do experience “Winter Blues.” Health and physical education teacher, Emily Good, who has been teaching here for five years, said she has seen the effects of winter weather on students. “Natural sunlight can affect mood, it has been proven that people who go a long time without sunlight and the ability to be outside often fall into depression,” she said.

Cures for SAD or general winter blues do not have to be medical. According to NCPA, studies have shown that symptoms can improve when affected individuals spend time outside, preferably a one-hour walk. In addition, exercise is also shown to be helpful.

Good said that exercise can help to combat the sluggish tendency of students during the winter. “(Exercise) improves overall wellness obviously. It helps to maintain healthy weight, and being active helps mental status because it is a great stress reliever. It can eliminate some problems associated with depression because exercise increases serotonin levels which affect mood positively,” Good said.

While the weather is warm and sunny outside, senior Kapil Banakar said he participates in activities such as tennis, Frisbee and the occasional game of flag football. He is a member of the tennis team and plays on an intramural basketball team through school.

Intramural sports, which do not cut students from the program, provide an opportunity for those who do not participate in the competitive official school sports. “Frisbee and football are pretty much impossible to play when it’s cold so I just stick with intramural basketball for physical activity,” Banakar said.

“Whether it be after school extracurriculars that students can participate in, there are a wide variety of activities,” Good said. She also said that exercise is important to students during the wintertime because it improves self-image and natural endorphins from exercising give a better sense of wellbeing.
Banakar admits that he has not always been active year-round. “Students who participate in fall sports sometimes find it difficult to remain active during the winter mainly due to the cold weather. This applied to me freshman and sophomore year,” Banakar said. According to Good, Banakar was not alone in his sedentary winter months.

“People have a tendency to use the excuse of it being cold outside to not stay active. There are many ways to implement a healthy lifestyle during the winter months,” Good said.

Also, Good said that self-esteem rises when people work and they feel better about themselves. In addition to exercise, Good said that there are other options to keep the blues at bay during the winter. “Eating the proper foods, still being able to get out and do things, not secluding yourself, and just being active are good ways to stay mentally and physically healthy,” Good said.

Good and Banakar both seem to agree that intramurals are a great way to stay active during the dark months of winter. “I heard about intramurals by word of mouth. The information can be heard on the announcements, but it is easier to hear about these kinds of activities from your peers because many people don’t listen to announcements,” Banakar said.

“Intramurals are a great opportunity to play. You don’t necessarily have to be extremely gifted to play an intramural sport,” said Banakar.