28 Do you feel like you don’t have as much energy as you normally do? Are you feeling sad or disinterested in things that usually excite you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing SAD – seasonal affective disorder. Google health says that SAD is a type of depression that occurs in relation to the seasons, most commonly beginning in winter. On a college campus, the numbers of those affected by SAD are about the same as those affected across the board, according to Dr. Stan Blom, a psychologist in the Bethel College Wellness Center. Blom said that depression is seen more often in increasingly stressful situations, such as the end of a semester (finals week). Some symptoms Blom shared are: feeling sad, down, unmotivated, lacking in energy, sleeping less or more, not as interested in things that used to be enjoyable (generally less joy in life), increased amounts of frustration or anxiety, worry more, uncertain about the present and future. What to do about it? If under increased pressure, Blom said to focus on practicing good self-care. He encourages the importance of exercise, healthy eating habits and adequate sleep. “The good vegetables that our parents told us to eat,” he shared. He also advised those who may be experiencing added strain or who think they may be experiencing symptoms of SAD to talk it out with reliable people in their lives or to visit the Wellness Center.
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