Almost two years ago my family moved to the Twin Cities from Kansas City. Since it's only a 7-hour drive, I didn’t think there would be much difference. Boy, was I wrong. Not only were cheese curds introduced to my diet, but I also had to learn about things like the state fair, loons, Sweet Martha’s cookies, and a children's game should be called Duck, Duck, Grey Duck.
While getting used to new traditions and local ways of life, the one thing I was not prepared for was the toll it takes on a person’s psyche when late fall begins to hit. As a youth pastor, I have noticed that even some of our best students get grumpy and negative as the temperatures start to fall. The same mood change happens with many of the parents.
While I could easily feel like this was something that came from a decision I made or something I did, I quickly realized it was something else: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Coming from Kansas City, just a half-day drive south, I was unaware of the effect that the grey skies and oncoming weather have on people. People living in the southern tier of the U.S. aren't noticeably impacted, but the farther north one goes, the percentage of people impacted increases.
So, in the northern latitudes, the sunlight level we experience impacts melatonin production, which impacts our mood. The more the sun is hidden, the more it can affect our mood. In fact, I notice some negative mental tendencies in myself, especially during late October and November. So, what should we as parents and followers of Christ do to handle it?
Small Steps to Alleviate SAD Symptoms
I believe there are a few simple steps that can help us deal with SAD ourselves, as well as others' slumping moods.
- Be diligent in prayer. Without the foundation of prayer, it can be easy to fall into a mindset that you are alone in your feelings. The truth is that Christ is walking beside you and he's ready to give a hand in helping you up out of your mental slump.
- Remind yourself and help your student understand that this is a season. They should refrain from making major decisions that could have a lasting impact during this time. Too often we let our mood guide us instead of the discernment we get from following God’s plan.
- Give grace - a "gift" that isn't deserved. Give grace to your melancholy student. Give grace to the grumpy bank teller. Give grace to the upset parent from your student’s sports team. Why? Because we know that their bodies will eventually adjust and they'll feel better. Also, as a Christ-follower, we desire to imitate Jesus Christ. He gave us the ultimate example of extending grace because he gave us eternal life by dying on the cross when we were his enemies (Romans 5:10). We certainly didn’t deserve this gift! And it definitely wasn't an easy thing for him to do. Yet, he gave us grace.
So, as the skies get greyer, the days get shorter, and the temperatures get colder, take vitamin D and practice love. We will get through this together.
