Blog Marathon - Post 19 - Cough and Cold is in the Air

As I mentioned in the last posts, the month of February has been unexpectedly warm with sunshine and temperatures touching 14 degrees during the day. With the sudden change in the weather, the bouts of cough and cold also abound. On Monday evening, I had gone out for 2 hrs and hadn't worn the usual winter jacket or winter cap thinking it is sunny and the temperature is close to 10 degrees. This over-confidence gave me a mild headache and choked nose. I always look around the Germans dressed minimally in freezing winter sometimes and then try to be like them and act like them. But I forget that they are different and I am. I can never become one of them or like them.

Blog Marathon - Post 5 - SAD

Don't get startled after reading the title of today's post. I am not sad or unhappy or low. SAD stands for seasonal affective disorder. That means this disorder affects people when the seasons change. Especially during autumn and winter, this disorder is prevelant and it is also linked to the absence of sun and in turn to the less release of the "feel good" hormone serotonin.

I heard this term yesterday from a British friend and she said she has it too. She is happy when the sun is out there and doesn't feel good when it is grey, cloudy and dark. The months of December, January and February are the ones when this disorder is most rampant and many people all over the world take treatment for getting cured from this disorder. People are less sad and moody during spring and summer.

There can be days together when you feel irritable, moody, low, extremely sensitive and you don't realise what is wrong with you. You start crying at the spur of the moment and most often nothing major has happened. You try to figure out the reason behind this irrational behaviour and you have no answer to it. You are not doing it purposefully. It's because a certain chemical reaction is taking place in your brain due to the absence of sun and sunlight and you are not able to cope up with the dark and grey weather. Your thoughts are haywire. Your brain is unable to process the information well. And you end up becoming more sad and withdrawn and gloomy.

If this continues for days and weeks together, then it is extremely important to see a doctor and take proper treatment by doing various tests. Don't just brush off saying it's just winter blues. Winter blues stay for a day or two, not more than that. So take care of yourself, be aware of SAD and take steps to get rid of it or at least reduce the symptoms and be well equipped to deal with it every year.