Seasonal Affective Disorder: When Your Body Is Out of Sync With the Seasons
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If you’ve ever felt your mood dip when the seasons change, like clockwork, you’re not imagining it.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) gets talked about like it’s only a winter thing: gray skies, short days, low vitamin D, cue the sadness. But there’s another side to this conversation that doesn’t get nearly enough attention — people who struggle in the spring and summer instead.
Different seasons. Same root issue.
Let’s talk about what’s actually going on, why so many people struggle now more than ever, and how to support your body in a way that honors natural rhythms instead of fighting them.
What Seasonal Affective Disorder Really Is
At its core, Seasonal Affective Disorder is a circadian rhythm issue.
Your body is designed to adjust to changes in light throughout the year. Shorter days signal rest and inward focus. Longer days signal activity and outward energy. This rhythm affects hormones like melatonin, cortisol, and serotonin — all of which influence mood, sleep, energy, and motivation.
In a well-regulated system, these shifts happen gradually and smoothly.
But for many people today, that system is already stressed before the seasons even change.
SAD Isn’t Always About Darkness
Winter SAD tends to show up as:
- Low mood or depression
- Fatigue and low energy
- Increased sleep or difficulty waking
- Cravings for carbs or sugar
- Feeling withdrawn or heavy
Spring or summer SAD often looks different:
- Anxiety or restlessness
- Irritability
- Fatigue despite longer days
- Insomnia or disrupted sleep
- Feeling overstimulated or “wired but tired”
- Difficulty focusing
In spring and summer, the issue isn’t a lack of light — it’s too much stimulation too fast for a system that’s already depleted or dysregulated.
Both patterns are responses to light changes the body can’t adapt to efficiently.
When the nervous system, minerals, or hormones are already off-balance, sudden increases or decreases in daylight don’t regulate the body, they overwhelm it. Instead of energy improving, the system short-circuits, and fatigue shows up alongside anxiety or sleep disruption.
Why Seasonal Transitions Are Harder Than They Used to Be
Our bodies are designed to regulate mood, sleep, and hormones based on natural light and outdoor rhythms. Modern life often removes us from those cues.
A few major disruptors I see over and over:
Mineral Imbalances
Minerals regulate nerve signaling, hormone production, and stress response. When minerals are depleted — especially magnesium, sodium, potassium, and trace minerals — the nervous system struggles to adapt to change.
Seasonal shifts demand flexibility. Depletion removes it.
Too Much Screen Time, Not Enough Sunlight
We’re indoors more than any generation before us, staring at artificial light all day and night.
Blue light exposure after dark suppresses melatonin. Lack of morning sunlight delays circadian reset. The body loses its natural cues.
Then the seasons change and everything feels off.
Limited Time Outdoors
Even people who “get outside” often don’t get enough consistent natural light exposure, especially early in the day.
The body needs real sunlight to anchor circadian rhythm. Windows don’t count. Screens definitely don’t.
Daylight Saving Time (Yes, It’s Still a Problem)
That one-hour shift may not sound like much, but hormonally and neurologically, it’s a big deal, especially for sensitive nervous systems.
For some people, that disruption alone is enough to trigger weeks of mood changes, poor sleep, or anxiety.
SAD Isn’t a Personal Failing — It’s a Rhythm Problem
This part matters.
Seasonal struggles aren’t a weakness or a lack of resilience. They’re often a sign that the body is working harder than it should to stay regulated.
When the system is already strained, seasonal transitions push it past its threshold.
The goal isn’t to force yourself to feel better. It’s to support the systems that allow regulation to happen naturally.
Holistic Ways to Support Seasonal Affective Disorder
Anchor Your Circadian Rhythm Daily
This is foundational.
- Get outside within 30–60 minutes of waking
- Expose your eyes to natural light (no sunglasses at first)
- Keep evenings dim and calm
- Avoid screens at least an hour before bed
These small habits do more for mood regulation than most supplements ever will.
Support Minerals & the Nervous System
Seasonal change is stressful, even when it’s “good” stress. Light shifts, schedule changes, temperature swings, and altered routines all place extra demand on the nervous system.
Minerals are what allow the body to adapt to that stress instead of being overwhelmed by it. They regulate nerve signaling, hormone communication, muscle relaxation, and the stress response itself. When mineral reserves are low, even small changes can feel like too much.
This is why mineral support becomes especially important during seasonal transitions.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is through mineral-rich foods, not just supplements.
- Well-salted, whole foods , using quality, mineral-rich salts, help support sodium and trace mineral balance, which is essential for nervous system stability.
- Leafy greens, root vegetables, and whole fruits provide potassium and magnesium that help calm the stress response.
- Sea vegetables and mineral-rich salts offer trace minerals many modern diets lack.
Broths are another foundational support. Bone broth or mineral-rich vegetable broths provide easily absorbed minerals that help replenish what stress and seasonal shifts deplete. Warm broths are especially grounding during colder months, but they’re helpful year-round when the nervous system feels taxed.
Herbal teas also play a quiet but powerful role. Infusions made from mineral-rich and nervine herbs help nourish the nervous system gently and consistently — herbs like nettle and alfalfa are classic examples. These aren’t quick fixes; they’re daily support that adds up over time.
When mineral intake is steady and supportive, the body is better able to:
- Regulate mood
- Adapt to changes in light and sleep
- Maintain energy without crashing
- Stay emotionally resilient during transitions
This kind of support doesn’t override the body — it gives it the resources it needs to do what it was designed to do.
Honor Seasonal Energy Instead of Fighting It
Winter is naturally slower. Summer is naturally more active.
Problems arise when we expect the same output year-round.
Allowing rest in darker months and pacing yourself during brighter ones helps the nervous system stay regulated instead of reactive.
Gentle Herbal Support
Herbs can be incredibly helpful here to support balance.
Depending on the season and symptoms, this may include:
- Nervine herbs for nervous system support
- Adaptogens for stress regulation
- Gentle mood-supportive herbs
- Sleep-supportive herbs when light disrupts rest
The key is matching the support to the season and the person, not using the same thing year-round.
Reduce Artificial Stimulation
This one’s not glamorous, but it’s powerful.
- Less caffeine, or ideally none at all, to give the nervous system a chance to recalibrate
- Less late-night stimulation
- Fewer screens after dark
The nervous system can’t recalibrate if it’s constantly being poked.
What to Focus on Instead of “Fixing” Your Mood
Rather than asking, “How do I make this go away?” try asking:
- Am I sleeping when my body needs rest?
- Am I getting enough real light?
- Am I supporting my nervous system or overstimulating it?
- Am I honoring the season I’m in?
When rhythm improves, mood often follows.
Seasonal Changes Are Normal — Struggling Through Them Doesn’t Have to Be
Your body was designed to change with the seasons.
But modern life makes that harder than it should be.
Seasonal Affective Disorder isn’t about being “too sensitive” or “not trying hard enough.” It’s often about a body that’s lost its rhythm and needs support getting it back.
When you honor light, darkness, rest, movement, and natural timing, the body remembers what to do.
And once it does, those seasonal dips don’t have to feel so heavy anymore.