These days, there are many clients who are having a hard time with seasonal depression. In fact, it’s a fixed comment I hear every year around this time. More than warm spring or summer, fall and winter are very difficult seasons for depressed people. Serotonin is the answer to depressed mood.
The neurotransmitter called serotonin, called the happiness hormone, is a very important substance that helps to stabilize emotions such as stress and anxiety, which are unavoidable in life, and to achieve a sense of happiness. The reason why most of the antidepressants and antianxiety drugs have the long name of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is because serotonin is absorbed too quickly into the cells and inhibits the depressive mood from being out of control. But even without medication, there are plenty of ways to help release serotonin!
First, it is sunlight. Since seasonal depression is caused by a lack of sunlight, the answer is sunlight. A decrease in sunlight directly leads to a decrease in serotonin secretion. It is said that sunlight entering the retina stimulates the brain and promotes the secretion of serotonin. If you can’t do that due to work schedules, etc., let’s take vitamin D, which is synthesized in the skin when exposed to the sun! Many people do not know the importance of vitamin D, but if you choose one of the vitamins, many doctors say that it is vitamin D. I also recommend taking vitamin D to my clients. It is also helpful to install a vitamin D lamp in a room that is not exposed to sunlight.
The second thing that helps secretion of serotonin is exercise. Our brain is made up of 85% water, so it is said that it is similar to floating in water. So, when we walk or move our body, the brain is also moved and the serotonin secretion is activated. According to research, serotonin secretion starts 5 minutes following walking and peaks following 15 minutes. The icing on the cake is if you can walk in the sunlight, and if you walk in nature that provides visual beauty, such as trees and water. So, although the weather is a bit chilly today, I bravely accepted the invitation to walk along the Hudson River at two o’clock in the sunshine.
Finally, it is a lifestyle. A friend’s blood test results are A plus every time. very envious! Even so, I eat healthier than I do when I take diabetes medication. I am confused regarding who has diabetes. I really need to reflect on this. Healthy eating habits are not only a healthy body, but also a great help in serotonin secretion. It is said that reducing caffeine intake is also helpful, but for coffee addicts like me, if I can’t drink coffee, I get depressed, my head hurts, and I have no strength to live my life. So, keep drinking coffee. It is also said that when you hear positive words from positive people, blood circulation in the brain improves and the brain stem is stimulated to promote serotonin secretion. Depression is contagious, anxiety is contagious. The more depressed you are, the more you meet positive people, read good books, and fill your mind with good thoughts.
What is the main culprit that lowers the ability to synthesize serotonin, which is so important for regulating our mood? That’s stress! To get rid of this stress, I recommend getting a pretty notebook and writing down 10 gratitude headings every day. Because the natural enemy of stress is gratitude. The power of gratitude experienced by everyone who has done it, I hope we all have a Thanksgiving with plenty of gratitude and no room for depression!
Seonjoo Kim / Psychotherapist at NJ Care Plus