Even though fall is a lot of people’s favorite season, others struggle immensely during this time. When the weather changes from hot to cold, seasonal depression starts creeping in. Now, seasonal depression, what is it? The correct name for it is “seasonal affective disorder.”  Seasonal affective disorder tends to happen when the climate has less sunlight at specific times during the year. Seasonal depression normally occurs at the same time every year. As a high school student, dealing with any kind of depression is hard. You experience changes in sleeping and eating habits and often lack motivation. To make sure you can control these symptoms or possibly try and avoid seasonal depression, here are five tips to help you this fall season. 

Routine, Routine, Routine! 

If you do not already have a consistent routine you do every day, you should consider getting one. Wake up around the same time every morning, eat breakfast, and go to school. When you get home, do your homework and plan what you will do that night. Having a consistent routine helps calm your mind of anxious thoughts by helping it know what is going to happen that day and what your day will consist of. Having a planner is also very helpful so you can visually see what your week will look like, whether you plan week by week or month by month, either way is extremely beneficial.  

Write it out

I know it sounds odd, but keeping a journal and writing down your thoughts and feelings does help. Write down any negative thoughts or feelings you have and put them in the journal. This way you won’t be consumed by thoughts in your head, they will be written down and out of your mind. 

Make sleep a priority 

When it comes to depression, all one wants to do is sleep. There is such a thing as too much sleep, so make sure you get no less than eight hours of sleep and no more than 12 hours, so your sleep schedule isn’t off balance. Sleep is one of the most important things when it comes to mental health. Your body needs sleep, but not too much. When you oversleep, you tend to be more tired than before, so make sure you get your eight hours in and stick with it. 

Hangout with friends and family

When you feel down, sometimes it’s good to surround yourself with other people to help you get out of your head. Watch a movie with your siblings or go hang out with your friends and have a study session. Grab some Starbucks and food for brain fuel and you will be good to go. 

Motivation is key

Motivation is probably the most important thing to do when struggling with your mental health. Staying motivated is very hard, but it is achievable. Set reminders on your phone of when to do stuff and give yourself an incentive when you get a task done (practice self-love too). Stay up to date with due dates for school work and try to get projects done before the day it is due. One thing that helps me is counting down how many days of school I have left. This is a great way to stay motivated!

I can’t guarantee that all these tips will cure your seasonal depression, but they have helped me over the years. You can always talk to one of your teachers if you are feeling down, and I promise they are willing to listen and help. Seasonal depression comes and goes but the effects of your actions stay forever. Make sure you are taking care of yourself physically and mentally this fall season!