When Spring Gives You the Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

Discover why spring can trigger seasonal affective disorder and springtime anxiety for many. Learn practical approaches and find support through holistic mental health solutions.

When Spring Feels More Bitter Than Sweet - Springtime SAD

Spring brings those lovely sunny days, blooming flowers, and a fresh burst of energy for many folks. But what if you're feeling completely drained, your anxiety is spiking, or you just can't shake that sadness when everyone else seems to be thriving?

Please know that you're not alone in this struggle.

For quite a few of us, spring isn't the magical season of renewal that greeting cards make it out to be. It can actually trigger some really tough feelings - anxiety that won't quit, irritability that affects your relationships, and a heaviness that feels like depression.

This often overlooked type of seasonal affective disorder - what many call "spring SAD" - can really catch you off guard, especially since most conversations about SAD focus only on those darker winter months, not spring anxiety.

 The Truth About Springtime Sadness

It might sound strange at first, but those seasonal mood shifts don't just happen when days get shorter and darker. In reality, about 10% of people dealing with seasonal affective disorder actually feel their worst symptoms during springtime, not winter (Healthline, 2022) [1].

The spring version can feel especially lonely because everyone around you is celebrating longer days and new beginnings, which can make your own personal struggles feel even heavier to carry.

You might find yourself wondering: Why am I so out of step with the world when everything is supposedly coming back to life?

We want you to hear this clearly - there's absolutely nothing wrong with you. Seasonal depression - no matter which season triggers it - is real, your feelings are completely valid, and there are gentle ways to manage this. Understanding what's happening is the first kind step toward feeling more like yourself again.

Why Does Spring Feel So Emotionally Tough?

Hormones and Your Mood

As the days stretch longer, your body's internal clock is doing its best to adjust, but sometimes your hormones like melatonin and serotonin get a little confused along the way. This can be really hard on your sleep patterns and how you're feeling emotionally – leaving you feeling more tired than usual, a bit anxious, or just a little down in the dumps.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, those seasonal shifts in daylight actually affect your internal rhythms and can send your emotions on quite a journey with ups and downs that might feel overwhelming at times (NIMH, 2023) [2].

If you've been noticing yourself feeling extra sensitive lately or just emotionally drained, please know that these hormonal changes might be behind it, and you're definitely not alone in feeling this way.

Weather’s Sneaky Impact on Your Emotions

Isn't it amazing how those shifts in temperature and changes in barometric pressure can actually feel so much like anxiety in your body? Your racing heart, those restless nights tossing and turning, the tension in your shoulders – sometimes it's not just you, it's actually the weather playing tricks on your body!

A 2023 study in the Journal of Medicine and Life discovered that folks who are sensitive to weather changes often experience shifts in their mood when barometric pressure changes (Hoxha et al., 2023) [3]. We found that fascinating because it validates what so many of us feel.

So please know, if you've noticed stormy or unsettled weather making you feel a bit off-balance emotionally, you're not just imagining things. Your body is responding in a very real way, and that's completely normal.

Allergies Aren’t Just a Physical Thing

Those spring allergies that have you reaching for the tissue box aren't just making your nose run – they're actually touching your heart and mind too, in ways we don't always recognize.

When your body goes through those allergic reactions, it creates inflammation that can actually reach your brain – like a gentle ripple effect through your whole system. This can make feelings of anxiety or sadness feel heavier than usual. It's as if your body is trying to tell your mind something important, but they're speaking different languages at the same time.

Many doctors might not mention this connection during your visits, but understanding it might help you to be kinder to yourself during these sneezy, teary seasons. Remember to give yourself extra grace when allergies flare up, and to talk to your doctor or allergist about ways to better manage your allergies, which may in turn help to better manage your mood.

Feeling Pressure to be Happy

You know that feeling when everyone expects spring to magically fill your heart with sunshine and joy? We get it. The truth is, it's absolutely okay if you're not feeling that beautiful burst of renewal that everyone talks about.

Sometimes, there's this gap between what the world expects us to feel as flowers bloom and what's actually happening in our hearts. Please remember that whatever you're experiencing right now is completely valid, even when it doesn't match up with the cheerful springtime story everyone else seems to be living.

Wondering if the changing seasons are affecting your heart and mind? It happens to so many of us!

Look for:

● That bone-deep tiredness that sticks around even after a good night’s rest

● Finding yourself getting frustrated more easily or feeling like everything’s just too much right now

● That fuzzy, cloudy feeling in your head that makes choosing between coffee or tea feel like a major life decision

● Noticing your sleep patterns or appetite doing a little dance that started right when the season shifted

● A heaviness in your heart, like you’re watching your life through a window instead of being fully present in it

If these symptoms appeared as the seasons changed, you’re not abnormal – your body and mind are responding to real environmental changes.

At May You Find Peace, we’ve seen amazing transformations when people honor their seasonal struggles rather than fighting against them.

Our approach includes your whole being:

Compassionate Conversation

Whether you're curling up on our couch in our Middlebury or Southbury offices, or chatting from the comfort of your own home through telehealth, we begin by simply being with you and truly hearing you.

No judging or rushing to "solve" you. We're all about real human connection that makes space for whatever's in your heart right now.

Whole-Person Healing

We know your emotional wellbeing is deeply connected to how your body feels. That's why we look at everything from time outside, quality sleep and vitamin levels, to how your thyroid's doing when we engage in conversations about your mood and energy levels.

Our gentle reiki practitioners often work hand-in-hand with traditional therapy to help you find solid ground when the changing seasons have left you feeling adrift.

Recent research backs up what we're doing, showing that healing approaches like reiki can bring real comfort for mental health challenges when paired with conventional care (Zadro & Stapleton, 2022) [4].”

Medication as a Thoughtful Option

For some of us, the right medications can feel like a warm hug when these seasonal changes get rough.

Our team really cares about you as a whole person - they'll sit with you, listen to your story, and understand what makes your body and mind unique. We often use gentle testing, including DNA testing (a saliva test), to lab testing (a blood test) to find what truly works in harmony with your beautiful, complex system.

Your heart matters to us, and sometimes finding that perfect support makes all the difference as you journey through these changing seasons.

If spring has brought weight instead of wonder, you’re not alone. Your experience is real, and help is available. The first step – just reaching out – is often the hardest, but we promise there’s kindness on the other side.

That first step - just making the call - can feel like climbing a mountain, but I promise there are kind, caring humans waiting on the other side.

Your first visit with us is just a heartfelt conversation - a safe space where you can finally be heard. We'll walk beside you through this season with genuine care and real-world tools that fit your unique life.

At May You Find Peace, we're right there with you through every season - the bright, blooming days and the quiet, harder ones too. Because real healing happens when we connect as humans who understand each other's struggles.

If you’re struggling as spring unfolds, our team is here for you. Call 203-558-1143 to schedule time with a therapist or medication provider who gets that seasonal transitions affect each of us differently.

You absolutely deserve support, and reaching out shows incredible courage and intelligent decisions about your body.

[1] Healthline. (2022). “Spring Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/spring-depression

[2] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2023). “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

[3] Hoxha, M., et al. (2023). “Meteoropathy: A Review on the Current State of Knowledge.”

Journal of Medicine and Life, 16(6), 837–841. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10478667/

[4] Zadro, S., & Stapleton, P. (2022). “Does Reiki Benefit Mental Health Symptoms Above Placebo?” Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 897312. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35911042/