00:00and welcome back to AccuWeather early thanks for watching on this Wednesday morning as summer ends
00:09some of us may feel a drop in mood some call it September sadness it's not as severe as seasonal
00:15affective disorder but it is a mood shift for some people all right joining us right now is
00:19dr. Susan Alvarez clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic thanks so much for joining us
00:25you know for me I love September but for others September is can be sad yes now September sadness
00:32isn't a medical diagnosis but what is it and why do so many people feel a letdown in mood this time
00:40of the year the September sadness refers to the dip in mood that happens during the first weeks
00:47of September as you mentioned not a diagnosis but it is very common and a real phenomenon
00:52it's triggered by the end of summer and the beginning of fall coming which triggers the
01:00the return to work and school routines as well as shorter days this is very hard on the brain and
01:07the body adjusting basically it's transitional stress we are adjusting to earlier alarm clocks
01:14shorter days less sunlight and our bodies and brains need a little time to adjust
01:20how is it different from seasonal affective disorder which is a recognized form of depression
01:26the September sadness is very short it lasts one to three weeks and then dissipates in contrast
01:34seasonal affective disorder begins in fall and ends in spring it's similar in characteristics
01:41in other words there are changes in sleep and eating habits lack of motivation low mood but the
01:49symptoms are much milder and they can be very persistent they happen at the same time every
01:55year it's very predictable for people who experience seasonal affective disorder if it lasts more than
02:02two to three weeks this persistent sense of sadness that's really the time to talk to a professional
02:07because it's moved from the September sadness into seasonal affective disorder
02:12all right what are some simple everyday strategies people can use to boost their mood as we head in the fall
02:20first thing in the morning get outside or sit by the window within an hour of waking this helps to reset
02:29their circadian rhythms that morning light is very powerful in helping to alter our alertness and our mood
02:36also we can set some intentional routines our bodies and brains love consistency and predictability
02:43setting consistent meal times wake and sleep cycles this is going to help to reduce the decision fatigue in
02:50your brain and make your mood a lot lighter also the good news is September brings a lot of wonderful
02:57things that stimulate our senses be mindful of all the changes of colors sit mindfully on the pumpkin spice
03:06latte and the holidays are just around the corner so this is a good time to put on your calendar
03:11some fun things that are coming that's going to help to lighten your mood and then finally
03:16make sure that you are moving don't stop moving even though you might have to adjust the time that
03:22you walk in the evening this is going to help to release serotonin and dopamine that we need
03:27to help our sleep and our mood to stay very regulated all right it's a personal question for
03:32bernie and i because we physically do not see the light because we get in at 4 a.m anybody who works
03:38maybe that second shift or a different hours is there any recommendation for kind of getting that
03:42um that light in the morning that we won't naturally get from the sun a light lamp these are transformative
03:48and have been shown in clinical research to boost your mood you purchase one they're not very expensive
03:53you put it on your desk for 10 minutes in the morning and this is going to be effective in helping to
03:59change some of those circadian rhythms and you're absolutely right it can be very tough with your work
04:04schedule but these have been a tool that many people use for both the september slump and seasonal
04:11affective disorder all right excellent i'll put one in see if we can put it on the company card i think
04:16we should also have one when your football team loses on sunday i know that makes me sad i know it does
04:23all right dr susan albers clinical uh psychologist at the cleveland clinic we appreciate you joining us
04:28here on accuother early thank you
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