Although the holiday season brings many people joy, it is also common for people to experience seasonal depression, causing them to go through hard times. People should watch out for their friends and family to make sure they are not experiencing this issue, and if they are, help them get through it.

Seasonal depression is a type of depression caused by changes in season and starts and ends at about the same time every year. Some people may experience this because of a life-changing event that happened in a specific season, like a loved one passing away, but others may experience it due to other reasons. A common reason is the reduced level of sunlight exposure during the fall and winter seasons. The sun is not out as much, reducing exposure to sunlight, causing lack of certain essential vitamins. Other times, people just simply do not enjoy the cold seasons, so they insist on staying indoors as much as possible. Being locked away in your home all alone can do some serious damage to your mentality.

Depression is a hard obstacle to overcome. It can cause problems in social situations, lack of motivation, and decrease in personal hygiene. It is important to have relationships in life, as humans were made to be social beings. Motivation is essential to completing small, everyday tasks, such as making your bed, preparing meals, and completing school assignments. People with seasonal depression often lack the motivation to do even the simplest of tasks, like brushing their teeth, showering, or changing their clothes. All of these things can do irreversible damage on a person, so it is best to avoid it as much as possible.

Many people often tell those experiencing depression to “just cheer up” or “just get over it,” but it is not that simple. Physical change can cause the body to go through tremendous amounts of hormonal changes, leading to psychological issues. Individuals experiencing mental disorders cannot help the fact that they have these issues.

Everyone should look out for their loved ones to be sure that they are always feeling okay, mentally and physically. It takes hardly any time out of your day to ask someone how they are doing, so do your best to check on someone everyday to ensure that your loved ones stick around.