“This spring morning in bed I’m lying, not to awake till birds are crying.” In spring, with peach blossoms red and willows green, grass growing and orioles flying, the season brims with vitality. Spring is a season full of hope, when people should be in high spirits and good moods. However, many feel irritable, out of sorts, especially reluctant to go to work, lacking motivation—in their eyes, there is no riot of colors, only a hazy grayness.
This state is a manifestation of “spring psychological irritability syndrome.” Although it’s not an illness, if not properly addressed and adjusted in time, it may indeed develop into one over time.
It’s normal to feel depressed in spring.
In spring, many people are affected to varying degrees by “spring psychological irritability syndrome,” with young and middle-aged adults being the most affected. The main symptoms include fear and aversion to going to work or school, unusually irritable moods, low efficiency in tasks, and depressive symptoms.
According to relevant statistics, every spring, people are most susceptible to being enveloped by depressive moods. During this time, psychological clinics are often packed. Depressive moods don’t appear out of nowhere—they are closely related to human psychological activities, and weather changes are also a contributing factor.
“Spring psychological irritability syndrome” is mostly caused by the changing seasons and unstable weather, with large temperature differences between morning and evening, which can easily lead to changes in the body’s thermoregulatory center and endocrine system, resulting in a disruption of bodily balance, exacerbating psychological dysfunction, and causing mood swings.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, after entering the warm spring season, the functions of various organs in the human body are in a state of vigor, yang energy gradually becomes more exuberant, and the body’s metabolism also enters a vigorous period, which can easily lead to excessive liver fire and depressed liver qi, resulting in symptoms such as restlessness and a quick temper.
Normally, a person’s mood is like a lake—there are always ripples and waves. Whether happy or sad, it changes with external or psychological factors and doesn’t last too long. This is the ever-changing “joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.” Just as people occasionally catch a cold or fever, when encountering low spirits, depression, or irritability, there’s no need to be overly nervous and develop anxiety. As long as it’s not an especially major emotional fluctuation or a persistent low mood lasting more than two weeks, there’s no need to be particularly concerned.
Don’t take a “wrong turn” in treating depression.
If a feeling of sadness persists for a long time, trapping a person in deep pain from which they can’t extricate themselves, the more they wish to escape it, the harder it becomes. From a psychological point of view, if this pain lasts more than two weeks, it is considered a depressive state, which has exceeded the normal range.
Psychologists say that recognizing that one is in a state of sorrow and sadness is not difficult, but how to get out of it is not easy. Everyone should understand their own emotions. If a depressive mood lasts more than two weeks, one should see a doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment, to recover health as soon as possible, regain a good mood, and lay the foundation for a better work and life.
Whether it’s mild boredom and irritation, severe gloominess and anguish, or even the most serious cases of suicidal thoughts, these are all just manifestations of depression—and there’s no need to panic. They are merely phenomena in the course of life, and only temporary. Sometimes, given time or with the help of professionals, the symptoms will disappear, and the mind will heal.
Depression not only causes psychological distress and low mood, but many who are depressed also experience noticeable symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, gastrointestinal discomfort, constipation, reduced appetite, and weight loss. Most noticeably, the more depressed one is, the more likely they are to suffer from insomnia, and the more insomnia there is, the worse the depression becomes. Yet, in real life, people are not very sensitive to their own emotions and rarely pay attention to them. When in a bad mood, they often don’t express themselves psychologically, but physically—using physical symptoms to convey their emotions. About 90% of depression patients do not realize they may have depression, or because their symptoms are often masked by physical pain, depression patients often take a “wrong turn” in seeking medical care. Generally, only after undergoing examinations in multiple departments without finding the cause do they realize they should see a psychologist.
Six tips to help you drive away irritability and depression
One: Reduce time spent alone. When signs of irritability or depression appear, the first thing people should do is overcome laziness and not stay at home all the time. This is very important because the less time spent alone, the easier it is to shake off the troubles of irritability or depression.
Two: Get more outdoor activity. You can choose a time when the sun is abundant to go out for a walk or engage in moderate exercise, especially under ample sunlight—take a stroll, hike a mountain, ride a bike… Feel the vitality brought by nature in spring, and you’ll find life becoming brighter as well. In addition, after exercising, when sweat covers your face and body, depression is powerfully dispelled.
Three: Talk to someone. When emotions can’t shake off depression, you should talk to someone. Of course, the best way is to find a psychological counselor and pour out all your depression and worries. When your troubles flow out with your tears, sunlight has already penetrated the gloom in your heart. If that’s not possible, you can confide in close friends and pour out your grievances and dissatisfaction.
Four: Enjoy music. After working hard, use a short break to listen to your favorite music, immerse yourself in beautiful melodies, and even just ten minutes can help reduce fatigue and bring you an incredibly wonderful feeling.
Five: Skillfully use color. Since people who are depressed already feel downcast and view the world through a dark lens, whether in clothing, makeup, or the design of your living environment, actively using and incorporating some warm and positive colors—such as pink, orange, light yellow, gold, etc.—can help stimulate positive emotions from the external environment.
Six: Dietary therapy. Eat more foods that can help stabilize emotions, relieve stress, and reduce tension. For example, consuming foods rich in amino acids can help stabilize mood and combat depression. Such foods mainly include: fish, shrimp, scallops, sea cucumbers, snails, dairy products, soy products, red-skinned eggs, century eggs, wood ear mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, daylilies, lilies, yam, nuts, and fungi.