An Earth Wisdom Perspective on Seasonal Affective Disorder
Providers agree that we have entered into the time of year when Seasonal Affective Disorder begins to impact many people. What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? If you ask someone who is affected by this constellation of symptoms, they will likely tell you that they suddenly start to feel like they are sleeping too much, like they are feeling down or sad more than is typical, and like they are not themselves. The National Institute of Mental Health lists a number of symptoms that include disruptions to feeding, sleeping, emotions, sense of alertness, cognition, and physical comfort in the body. For more details about the symptoms, visit the National Institute of Mental Health here.
If you are someone or someone you love is affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, you may already know, or you may be surprised to read that being in Nature can support you. Research indicates that exposure to sunlight is supportive for folks who are impacted by the waning of daylight hours. As the northern hemisphere shifts into the darker part of the year, our days get shorter and our nights longer. Our bodies need to shift their circadian rhythm to match the seasonal shifts of light.
But what happens if we are completely out of touch with Nature and nature’s cycles? What happens if we don’t go outside or spend time exposed to the sunlight?
Many studies support the importance of exposure to daylight for our overall health. One such study (Burns, Saxena, Vetter, Phillips, Lane & Cane, 2021) found that their UK participants typically spent about 2 hours a day outdoors. For each additional hour daily spent outdoors, a number of mental health symptoms improved including increased mood, less fatigue, and better sleep. Other studies point to the value of being out in nature for other reasons such as the exchange that happens between plants and people that support human health, as in Forest Bathing (Coventry, Brown, Pervin, Brabyn, Pateman, Breedvelt, Gilbody, Stancliffe, McEachan, and White, 2021).
As a therapist who works from an Earth Wisdom perspective, these findings bring forward many curiosities. How might our mental health be different if our culture placed more value on the rhythms of nature? For example, what if our work and school hours were adjusted to accommodate an actual physical need for more rest in times of greater darkness?
In closing, I encourage you to also be curious about your relationship with the cycle of nature that is Fall. What could shift for you or someone you love if you or they spent more time outdoors, and afforded more awareness of these natural cycles? How might you craft your life differently to make this possible, and what benefits might arise? I would love to know what you discover.
References
Burns, A.C., Saxena, R., Vetter, C., Phillips, A. J. K., Lane, J. M., & Cain, S. W. (2021). Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participants. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 347-352. Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032721008612
Coventry, P.A., Brown, J.V.E., Pervin, J., Brabyn, S., Pateman, R., Breedvelt, J. Gilbody, S., Stancliffe, R., McEachan, R., & White, P. (2021). Nature-based outdoor activities for mental and physical health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SSM Population Health, 1; 16; 16:100934. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100934. Https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8498096/#bib38
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. If you are experiencing distress, consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional.
Comments