With the warm weather finally making its way to Newport News, campus seems like an entirely different place with dozens of students relaxing on the Great Lawn, sitting in the Plaza and no longer rushing to class to escape the cold. As someone who absolutely loves being in nature, I’m completely embracing this new change and trying to spend as much time outdoors as possible. After all, “college is finally college-ing,” according to all the TikToks that are being posted about how nice campus has become with everyone outside. It seems that Punxutawny Phil was actually right this year with there being an early spring. However, this sudden weather change does make me reflect on how Virginia can be when it comes to the constantly changing weather.
Seasonal depression, technically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a real issue that many people face when days get shorter and dark earlier due to daylight savings. People joke about it all the time, but it really is a problem that hundreds of individuals face each year. Personally, I could be having the worst, laziest day ever but once I step outside and feel the warmth of the sun on my face and hear birds chirping, my mood instantly changes and I feel much happier. Sadly, I don’t usually get to experience that often in winter and it’s even worse in northern areas such as New York and New England states. For people who work nine to five jobs or even earlier, such as my sister who wakes up at 5:30am to go to work every day, they sometimes don’t even get to see the sun since they’re stuck inside all day. Even though daylight savings is over, the weather at CNU is always unpredictable and there have been too many times when I’ve forgotten to check my weather app and walked outside in shorts and a t-shirt only for it to be much colder.
When the weather starts affecting my mood in a negative way, I still try to take walks outside (unless it’s raining) and get some type of fresh air and exercise so I can still feel refreshed and energetic. It’s so easy to just rot in bed all day but I’ve discovered that the more I stick to a schedule, the more accomplished I’m going to feel for the day. It’s also important to get as much natural light as possible in your room and still try to find ways to socialize and be with other people when it’s gross outside, because that can usually leave people feeling more energized.
It’s definitely beginning to feel like spring so some of these tips might not seem important anymore, but as someone who has always struggled with the winter blues and changing weather patterns, it’s never too late to start adjusting your life so that you enjoy all four seasons – not just spring and summer.
