Welcome back to the land of single-digit weather, 8 a.ms and sunsets on the way to your 3:30 p.m. class — Syracuse. Behind you are the days of holiday cookies, binge-watching “Broad City” while your mom vacuums underneath your feet and that overall feeling of carefree bliss we call Winter Break.

As you recover from that dreaded first class of the semester, perhaps still drunk on sleeping until noon and forgetting what Blackboard is, know that this sense of bleakness isn’t uncommon. It’s a different kind of hangover, one that won’t be cured by coffee and aspirin. This is commonly known as a “post-vacation hangover.” But in the case of cold climates like Syracuse with a compelling sense of gloom, it could be something more.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or coincidentally SAD, is the moodiness, depressive feelings, lack of energy and increased appetite that usually starts late fall and lasts through the end of winter. This sounds like a lot to attribute to one season, but the National Institute of Mental Health offers some pretty convincing insight on how the colder seasons affect our mood.

“The reduced level of sunlight in the winter months may affect an individual’s serotonin levels and sleep patterns,” reads the institute’s website. Chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin are responsible for the feelings we know as “happiness” and are also closely linked to our circadian rhythm, which is connected to steady sunlight cycles.

There aren’t that many sunny days here in Syracuse during the winter, so it comes as no surprise that we Orange are at more risk for feeling down in the winter months.

That being said, the return to campus doesn’t have to go hand-in-hand with a grey mood. Syracuse has numerous happiness chemical enhancing activities right within our reach.

The Office of Health Promotion, located in the basement of 111 Waverly Ave., is equipped with what they call a Stress Reduction Room. The room serves as a quiet haven for students to escape their hectic schedules and is even compete with a light therapy lamp.

Kristelle Aisaka, a health promotion specialist in the program focusing on mental health, gave her thoughts on the resources in an email.

“Light therapy is a great tool for students and is often beneficial in helping with jetlag, seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders. In short, it helps us to essentially ‘make up’ for the sunlight exposure we might not be getting otherwise, and helps to reset our internal biological clock,” she said.

The Stress Reduction Room is available by appointment to any SU student, faculty and staff via the Office of Health Promotion website.

Moving on, give the environment you spend most of your time in a makeover. Open your bedroom blinds in the morning, cover your walls with pictures that remind you of happy times and invest in a citrus, jasmine or rosemary scented candle — all are linked to boost alertness and mood.

The next step is to venture out of that room. In the winter, we can feel cooped up in our dorm or apartment, finding it too easy to choose a night of Internet surfing over an adventurous outing. Trying new things, no matter how small or big, can improve our mood and sense of motivation.

It may come as a surprise, but Syracuse has many opportunities to branch out, even in the winter.

If you’re feeling altruistic, volunteer at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central New York and pet your way to a brighter mood while helping a good cause.

After that, take the Connective Corridor to the Everson Museum of Art if you haven’t already. Or take a break between classes and wander to the SUArt Galleries in Shaffer. According to Psychology Today, the simple act of viewing art releases dopamine.

Even simply trying a new restaurant, eating dark chocolate or watching a movie at Destiny USA instead of in your bed will fight that sense of cabin fever.

All in all, the winter can be daunting, but don’t let the wind chill and view of midterms on the horizon stop you from experiencing happiness. Instead let the 13210 welcome you with open arms.

Renata Husted is a senior public health major. Her column appears weekly. You can email her at rfhusted@syr.edu.

Published on January 18, 2017 at 12:31 am