Seasonal Depression or Opportunity? The Dark’s Invitation for Introspection
Every year in November, daylight savings gifts us another hour in our day. However, for a majority of people this gift comes at a cost; witnessing their beloved sun sink from the skies an hour earlier. This is a time that triggers what many refer to as their “seasonal depression.” Although darkness is often associated with undertones of depression such as: melancholy, fatigue, and high stress, it carries many subtle, advantageous traits. And many of these advantageous traits center around introspection; a practice that while highly praised, seldom sees practice during these darker times.
Among the first of these advantageous traits is self-reflection. Unlike the blinding long days of summer when our minds are subjected to endless sunshine, the winter months offer dark skies and chilling temperatures. This combination naturally induces us to reflect as the year wanes before the birth of the next, and we begin to self-analyze. This reaction is almost done subconsciously, as people naturally retreat into their heads more often in the colder months. You can argue this is where “seasonal depression” begins. People reflect in the dark and in the cold, and they dislike what they find inside their own minds. These disappointing discoveries touch upon issues of self-image, self-worth, friendships, etc. Ultimately, due to perceived depression that many people believe to accompany the colder seasons, self-reflection usually takes them down the route of self-criticism and insecurity. But this is not what the dark’s invitation meant for you to attend. Self-reflection is a doorway to self-empowerment, not an imprisonment on your mental health. It’s the moonlight that heightens our intuition and thinking at night, and instead of self-criticism, reflection should be used to check-in with your thoughts. It’s the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your goals and ambitions. The result of self-reflection should have you feeling in a more confident place in the end then when you began. It’s used to instill you with confidence in yourself, along with promoting a sense of growth and self-awareness. That’s the benefit of self-reflection, and how darkness is often an essential ingredient for it.
On to a second advantageous trait, and this one is especially counterintuitive for extroverts - solitude. Solitude is perhaps one of the most difficult ingredients to digest, but produces the best recipes for introspection. Seeing how this conversation revolves around introspection, hopefully solitude isn’t seen as a surprise. Although solitude is discomforting for many, mastering a state of comfort when alone is an incredible method for developing skills in introspection. However, this isn’t just laid at your feet. You have to do the mental work to gain this skill. Notifications must be silent, phones on vibrate, and TikTok put away. Introspection will become far easier when you’re comfortable in your own solitude. It provides the atmosphere necessary in taking a deeper look inside yourself, and clears the path to understanding who you are. Solitude has even been praised by some great creators and the power it bestows. In one of TedTalks most viewed lectures, American author Susan Cain spoke “solitude matters, and for some people it is the air they breathe.” She spoke about this to highlight the importance of solitude and the mental advantages it grants to those who embrace it. Apart from the major winter holidays, people are more likely to find themselves alone than the warmer months given the season’s colder climate. But this solitude is a gift, and represents the perfect opportunity to exercise some introspection. Don’t let it go to waste.
When considering a third advantageous trait, look no further than what’s around you. What can you see, hear, and feel? Awareness is everything in this regard. It’s often the antidote to many of the things our “seasonal depression” brings when the darkness draws near. Melancholy, fatigue, stress - all of these at the very least can be subdued when we’re aware of them. We may think that when we’re experiencing episodes of our seasonal depression that we can point to the reason why, however, more often than not that’s not true. And it’s exactly the reason why so many people get hit hard in the colder months. They reason the source of their melancholy stems merely from the dark skies and cold climate. Fortunately, increasing your awareness through exercising introspection can detect these undertones of seasonal depression before they fester. Being aware of them may not magically make them vanish, but it usually guarantees a much softer blow. It takes away these negative feeling’s ability to chip away our confidence and empowers us to endure, and even thrive in hard times.
From navigating awareness onward, we ultimately meet what may be the most difficult stage of introspection: measuring our self-worth. This is easily one of the most difficult things to do with ourselves while remaining truthful. This is a glaringly strange age we live in, with literal multi-millionaire teenagers and self-made influencers among us. The very avenues for our digital entertainment are the same sources that erode our confidence and instill us with insecurity. It’s certainly understandable. With social media, who hasn’t come across a younger person than ourselves, with a viral (albeit heavily curated) reel showcasing their wealthy, carefree lifestyle? The truth of this fact is that we spend more time in our head comparing ourselves with one another than we do on building our confidence. It’s developed to a point that often someone exhibiting confidence is prematurely deemed “arrogant” or “conceited”. But this is something that has to stop. Measuring your self-worth is an easy task to procrastinate. Taking the time through introspection to gauge how you measure up will empower you to accept nothing less than you deserve. It’ll also enable you to view your self-image in a much less critical light, and that is something crucial for Millennials and Gen Z especially.
All of these aspects are the less noticeable, advantageous traits of introspection. They may not be as obvious as the negative undertones that “seasonal depression” may bring, but they are far superior in power. Being happy and whimsical in the sunnier, warmer months is candy - it’s sweet and enjoyable. But being that same way in the darker, colder months is vegetables - they make you strong and grow tall. So no more using these dark and colder days as a justification for “seasonal depression”. Instead get inside your head and master the opportunity that it’s been depriving you of.
