Most people have experienced some sort of seasonal mood swings throughout their lives. Whether people get seasonal depression in winter or a sudden urge to do things in the summer, it is felt all over the world.
Teenagers experience these mood changes a lot more than adults because of the different things that happen in different seasons. For example, in the fall, school starts, and many kids start to feel sluggish as it gets colder outside. They also have semester finals in the winter, but the school year does not end for more than four months. Along with this, they have to drive to school in cold and snowy weather, and wake up while it is still very dark outside. In the spring, students tend to get lazy because summer is around the corner, and they just want to go outside and enjoy the sun.
The summer is usually a very joyful time for teenagers because school is over, and they get to be outside or with their friends all the time with no responsibilities from school. Many people also travel in the summer, most often. This gives students something to look forward to in the summer that is exciting and new.
Micheal Gallus, a freshman at Lakeland high school, said his least favorite seasons are Spring and winter because it’s cold and the weather is bad, meaning he gets stuck inside. He often finds himself lacking motivation to do things because he tends to just sit and bedrott scrolling on his phone or watching movies.
“If I scroll for too long, I realize what I’m doing is not going to help my future, so I work out or run,” Gallus said.
Because of the lack of sunlight, there is less vitamin D. This vitamin helps with immune support, bone health, and mood regulation. This would explain why so many students feel less active in the colder months and are visibly more irritated.
Many people struggle with Vitamin (DVD) deficiency, causing frequent illnesses, constant tiredness, and mood changes. Students like Heleena Clay experience the symptoms of VD, causing her pain during soccer practice and less motivation to do things like homework.
Due to this also affecting the mood of students, teenagers start to lack motivation the less VD they have. This is noticed by friends and family of students who find them to be more irritable and harder to talk to.
“The better the weather, the better the attitude,” Olivia Lowery said, reflecting on how she experiences a lack of Vitamin D.
Other than VD, serotonin is also lacking in the colder months. Serotonin is a hormone that boosts a person’s mood and helps them to stay calm. This hormone is triggered by sunlight. Melatonin also peaks in the winter because it is darker outside, which makes people get more irritated because they are tired and their brain is not fully awake.
“My best friend gets these mood swings, so if it’s sunny she’s happy, but if the day is rainy then she gets angry and agitated at me,” Lillian Mihara said. She says she tries to cheer up her friend by buying her a golden glow drink or getting food for her. This helps to wake her friend up and be more vibrant during the day.
Lilly Mihara says she can also experience these mood swings and be more irritated with her friends and family. Mihara finds she sleeps a lot more in the winter because it’s so cold outside and it’s always dark.
However, she tends to clean a lot more with all the extra time she has from not hanging outside with her friends. She does not like to clean, but she thinks it’s a better use of time than scrolling on her phone or sleeping all day.
Other students also have things they like to do in the winter to keep them in high spirits and more active. Piper Garwick says she tries to do warm things in the winter, like taking hot showers, drinking hot chocolate, and eating hot food. She enjoys playing video games with her friends and going shopping.
“No matter the season, when in doubt, shop it out,” Piper Garwick said.
Mihara says when she is bored in the winter and feels sluggish, she goes skiing with her family and tries to hang out with her friends as much as possible while keeping her 4.0 GPA.
The cold doesn’t just affect people’s mood but also how well they play in sports. When the weather is colder, there is less blood flow to the skin, hands, and feet. This keeps core organs warmer, which also makes nerves more sensitive because nerves act differently in the cold, causing pain receptors to become hyper-alert.
Lillian Mihara and Heleena Clay both play soccer, and the weather can cause practices to be miserable and cold. They are also more likely to get injured during a game. Other sports like Football experience the outcomes of cold weather and playing a sport, and many players say it hurts their fingers to catch a ball or tackle someone when the temperature is low.
On the other hand, when the weather is warm, almost everything turns from bad to good. People get the vitamin D they need to be healthy and feel a heightened sense of proactivity. Nice weather also leads to more outside activities like swimming, camping, and dirtbiking as well.
Piper Garwick’s favorite season is summer because she can drive and hang out with her friends. She loves to tan and go to the beach, and Garwick says she loves vitamin D from the sun.
“I really like summer because summer warmth feels good on my skin,” Said Garwick.
Piper is not the only one who loves summer; both Micheal Gallus and Helena Clay love the summer as well and say it’s their favorite season. They love the heat and freedom away from school.
However, some people find summer to be too hot, causing heat exhaustion, and are lonely when school gets out because they just sit at home. This can especially be felt by highschoolers without a drivers license who dread summer because of the lack of socializing with people.
Fall and spring are very similar in a way that they are both warm and cold, though more people prefer fall because of the things that come with it. Olivia Lowery loves fall because of Halloween and the fair. She has made some of her best memories at the fair, looking at the animals and riding the rides. She also enjoys the beginning of school and seeing all of her school friends and the excitement of starting a new chapter.
Fall is very appealing to people because of all the colors and holidays that happen in the season. Holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving bring friends and families together, creating lifelong memories and traditions. This is a great time to reconnect with family members who live far away or have been too busy with life to connect outside of Thanksgiving.
Spring is less looked forward to because of the rain and the off-and-on weather. This is also when finals for school approach, giving students a lot to worry about. Spring sports are usually earlier in the spring, so it’s colder and rainy. Baseball players are often seen covering the baseball diamond with tarps to protect the field from the rain. The weather also makes watching sports cold, wet, and can cause family and friends to not go to an athletes game.
Track is also a spring sport that is affected by rain and wind. This can cause runners to perform worse because of the conditions while running. However, distance runners prefer colder weather, so the body pumps blood to muscles and organs.
Every season has its ups and downs that make it special and enjoyable. However, some seasons have more challenges than others, causing people to dread going through them. Whether it comes to sports, friends, school, or mental health, every season affects students in different and unique ways. It is completely normal for people’s moods to go up and down, but sometimes it is hard to take care of mental health and keep up with schoolwork. Most students have different things they like to do to help their moods and motivation to do important things in their lives.