Advice from a psychologist: how to overcome the autumn blues.

Many people do not distinguish the blues from depression. These concepts are related, but far from identical, and not identical. If the blues are simply an unfavorable mood, gloomy thoughts and boredom, then depression is psychological disorder with more serious consequences. In this article we will give you some tips on how to deal with autumn blues.

Autumn is in the human soul. Like spring, summer, any season, any weather. And therefore, someone with joy and a premonition of cleansing will offer their hands to the same rain, while another will frown heavily, sweep away their sadness into a random stream and pull their cloak tighter. The weather is ours, and the rain... it just comes. Devoid of shades of good and evil, joy and sadness, the rain falls through our souls

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What do we call the blues?

The condition that many people are accustomed to calling the blues can be described in a few words. This is apathy, melancholy, boredom, and an obsessive feeling of hopelessness. A person begins to think about things that had never occurred to him before.

An inexplicable and unmotivated fear of the future appears. People become afraid for themselves, for their prospects; it seems to them that a drama, or even a tragedy, will certainly happen. Most importantly, they cannot explain even to themselves what caused this mood. Dark thoughts take over the consciousness, and the person turns into a complex and oppressed creature. He doesn’t know how to deal with the autumn blues, and continues to meekly remain captive to negative premonitions.

It seems to a person that everything around him is set against him, that there is some kind of catch hidden in every little thing. If you didn’t catch the bus in time, it means everything is going the same way, you forgot your umbrella at work - you can’t escape fate, you received a reprimand from your boss - you can’t escape, everything is a foregone conclusion. You give up, nothing comforting comes to mind, and this state drags on like a quagmire.

If such moods are aggravated by complicated relationships with loved ones, the person is left alone with this phenomenon. There is no one to support him and there is no one who would advise him how to deal with the autumn blues. This is a very unpleasant state, a person withdraws into himself and feels detached from the entire world around him.

Things and phenomena that gave him pleasure cease to please and bring positive emotions. Man abandons training gym, doesn’t go out for her usual jogs, doesn’t open a single book. He answers all questions reluctantly, does not carry on any conversations, and tries to hide from society in his own fictional world.

He cannot believe that this condition will pass, and the person will have to return to the usual rhythm of life. He may exhibit auto-aggression, as a result of which he will begin to hate himself. At first he blames all his troubles on the world, but then he begins to engage in reflection, self-abasement, and tries to find salvation in alcohol, or, even worse, antidepressants and drugs.

Why autumn affects the self-development of some people

Why does such a difficult condition arise with the passing of summer? How to deal with the autumn blues if there are no internal resources and strength? And what can you do to continue working on yourself in the fall, driving away all the ridiculous destructive thoughts?

We tried to highlight the main reasons why the autumn mood becomes an obstacle to personal development.

1. Changes in weather, air temperature and atmospheric pressure are of great importance. Many people immediately feel these changes, and their body begins to show symptoms such as tachycardia or hypertension. If a person's blood pressure rises, he begins to feel anxious, unreasonable fear, and tries to figure out the reasons why his mood changes. But if you see a doctor and put your body in order, the anxious feelings will go away. The usual mood will be restored, and autumn days will not cause despondency and apathy.
2. The onset of autumn is accompanied by an increase in business activity. A person may face additional stress that he has become accustomed to over the summer. If he experiences difficulties or receives criticism at work, the thought may occur to him that he has become weak, inattentive, and this can lead to the same autumn blues.
3. The onset of autumn is often associated with the beginning of a monotonous and often boring lifestyle. If in summer period If a person enjoyed his vacation, found a lot of entertainment and activities, then already in September the concept of giving up usual pleasures begins to appear. This is reflected in psycho-emotional state, which leads to despondency and melancholy.
4. Every person should set goals for themselves and move towards their realization. In the fall, he begins to feel that everything that was planned in the summer has already been achieved, but new guidelines cannot be found. The seasonal difference in working on yourself in the fall is what causes the blues. If in the summer a person wanted to visit interesting places, achieve success in physical development If he is engaged in swimming, jogging or hiking, then it becomes unclear to him what to do on autumn days, what to devote himself to. The lack of new goals that take into account the circumstances of the arrival of another time of year is one of the main reasons for the onset of autumn blues.

Fight the autumn blues– this is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Some people require professional help from a psychologist for this. But you can still try to cheer yourself up and get rid of the autumn blues on your own.

How the great Russian poet defeated the autumn blues

The greatest Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin created a number of his brilliant works in the fall, which even went down in the history of his work as the most productive period of his life, “Boldino Autumn”.

The poet inherited his estate. Circumstances were such that before leaving, he was planning a wedding with Natalya Goncharova, but it was postponed, which caused a quarrel between Pushkin and the bride’s relatives. The poet arrived in Boldino at the very beginning of autumn 1830, on the third of September.

Pushkin began to fight the autumn blues by starting to work on his works, which later became one of his best creations. Passionate about his work, he restored peace of mind. Pushkin was not afraid of either dull landscapes, slush, or widespread seasonal dirt. The only entertainment was horseback riding, but still they maintained tone and the desire for new poetic explorations.

Pushkin had to stay in Boldino all autumn. The anxious mood, aggravated by the cholera epidemic, gave way to a desire to work. As the poet wrote to his friend, “it was necessary to work, I really wanted to work, but the circumstances were such that, apparently, the work should not have been successful.”

While in Boldino, Pushkin felt not alone, but free. He managed to see in the circumstances positive points, and set yourself up for optimism. Having received life experience How to deal with the autumn blues, the poet survived two more similar periods, and created approximately the same number of works as during the “Boldino Autumn”.

How to get rid of the autumn blues

With the first autumn chill, life will begin again

F. S. Fitzgerald

Some people cannot cope with the surging melancholy on their own, and are looking for outside help. It is worth noting that in these cases, successful changes depend, first of all, on the person himself. Relatives and acquaintances can support you with advice or console you, but without working on yourself, it is very difficult to fight the autumn blues.

How to cheer up in the fall, how to conquer yourself and continue self-development? You can follow some of our advice, try to apply it to your situation, and see what happens.

How to cheer yourself up in the fall

Fight the autumn blues– this is a creative process. There is no need to strictly follow advice and wishes, but to do experiments and analyze their results. One rule must still be strictly observed: be sure to keep a diary. It should include the content of the actions taken, and, on the contrary, the resulting effect.

For example, “I was so sad and bored, I decided to go to the cinema” - “cool! The mood was lifted, the comedy was great!” “There was nothing to do, I bought a ticket to a symphony music concert” - “It became even sadder, the idea was not a success.” “It became so lonely, I decided to call my old friends and invite them to visit” - “How great! We remembered how fun it was to study at the institute, drank beer, and my desire to live and work returned!”

All thoughts that provoke melancholy and despondency should be analyzed critically, and you will be convinced that the vast majority of them are unfounded. It will be easier to drive them away if you understand that these are just fleeting guests who should not be allowed to visit. And the reflection of the whole world will change in your consciousness, which will affect your mood and well-being.

To effectively fight the autumn blues, you need to constantly set new goals for yourself. Then there will simply be no time left for unproductive thoughts. Autumn is characterized by the fact that at this time the weather forces you to sit at home on weekends, and with nothing to do, you begin to think about things that are useless and harmful. For example, to anticipate the coming old age or illness, moreover, inevitable death. If you portray such gloomy pictures in your mind, the desire to live will begin to disappear. Should this be allowed?

Defeating the autumn blues means raising your own self-esteem

The autumn mood in personal development should bring the desire to work on oneself even more intensively and responsibly. It won’t be a mistake if you prepare yourself for possible blues in advance and think about how to deal with it in the summer.

It is very important to find transitional tasks that would adapt you to the new season and distract you from unnecessary thoughts. For example, if you spent the summer reading, but did not have enough time for it, it is worth repeating to yourself: “In the summer I read little, because there were so many temptations to go to the mountains, to the beach, to ride a boat, but autumn is ahead, and I will certainly I’ll make up for it.”

If you manage not to become slack, but, on the contrary, succeed in working on yourself in the fall, you will raise your self-esteem. You will gain self-confidence, and you will mentally praise yourself for not giving up, but for achieving new successes. But the most important thing is that you will have a precedent. You will never again be afraid of the coming autumn, but will remember that there is nothing terrible in the seasonal blues. It is possible and necessary to defeat her, and there is no need to worry about it.

In autumn, people often complain about a bad mood that seems to arise for no reason. Many associate a dull, gloomy state with the time of year, in their opinion, “the nastiest of the year.” They even came up with a name for this problem - autumn blues, which you need to get rid of as quickly as possible.

Causes of the blues

The main reason for the autumn blues is your own mood. Many people set themselves up for the blues even on hot, warm days, sighing every now and then: “Autumn is coming. The nasty blues will come again.” That is, negative programming of the body occurs for the arrival of autumn.

Such people, unfortunately, do not see anything good in autumn. Cold mornings, rains, dampness, dark evenings - these are the standard descriptions of autumn.

Set yourself up for the positive, and you will unexpectedly discover another autumn - a fabulous beauty that changes outfits almost every day. No matter how much we love summer, even it cannot give us as many bright colors as Indian summer gives us!

In autumn it is much easier to breathe, because the air is not as dry and hot as in summer. Walking on an autumn day is much more pleasant than in the summer heat.

The abundance of vegetables and fruits is another plus of autumn.

Of the minuses− short days, long evenings, cold, sometimes damp weather. But even in these disadvantages you can find advantages. In the fall, we are at home more, which means we can leisurely take care of things that have accumulated for a long time: tidy up the closets, wash everything that we couldn’t wash in a hurry in the summer. If the autumn blues really set in, start doing some repairs. Such a choice will leave no time at all to look gloomily out the dark window. Often time flies by so quickly during this activity that you can only come to your senses on the eve of the New Year!

Vitamins can help the body get rid of the autumn blues. Of course, on cold days you want hearty food, but if you focus only on meat fatty foods, sweet confectionery, you won’t be able to cope with the blues. A bad mood is guaranteed, plus a set of extra pounds. It has been proven that people gain 1 or 2 kg of weight in the fall.

Causes bad mood often lies in poor digestion. Almost everyone who complains about the autumn blues also complains about hair, bad dream. They agree to take pills for good stomach function, for good sleep instead of adjusting your diet.

Eat more vegetables and fruits, treat yourself to a variety of salads, but remember the compatibility of foods. Incompatible products cause the formation of toxins in the body that negatively affect health, which does not add to a good mood.

Don't mix fruits and vegetables. Do not prepare dishes that involve the use of fruits, vegetables, or meat at the same time.

Fruits are digested much faster than other foods. Therefore, having often eaten such a mixed dish, after about half an hour fatigue suddenly sets in, headache, bloating. After all, fruits have already been digested, but vegetables and meat have not yet, as a result, toxins begin to be produced that poison the body.

There are a lot of apples in autumn . It's very valuable useful product, rich in vitamins, which will help get rid of the autumn blues. But remember that an apple eaten immediately after a meal will cause harm instead of benefit, since it will be digested faster than other food and the process of fermentation and gas formation will begin.

Make it a rule to eat an apple at least half an hour before meals. Get rid of the wrong habit of eating fruit for dessert. Eat them as a snack or before a meal.

Do not indulge in fatty foods, as they are the main culprit of bad mood and drowsiness. Avoid sausages and sausages, and do not drink sweet carbonated water.

In the fall, fruit drinks made from frozen berries or lemon, and herbal teas will come in very handy.

Many people harvest herbs and other greens in the summer and freeze berries “for the winter.” So, if the autumn blues have taken over, take out your supplies and cheer up your body, this will help you quickly overcome the dull blues.

Treat yourself to good chocolate, marshmallows, marmalade.

Fighting the blues with dried fruits

Eat dried fruits . . If you eat 10 dates daily, you can fully meet the body's need for copper, magnesium, sulfur, and get half daily norm iron and about a quarter of calcium. Dates are a powerful detoxifier that removes salts heavy metals from the body.

Dates can immediately replace fruit, drink, food, sweetness and medicine. To get rid of the autumn blues, this is just what you need.

Take dates to work, eat them instead of a snack or afternoon snack and get in a good mood.

Important! If you eat dates, do not eat other dried fruits on this day, as excessive consumption may cause weight gain, as dried fruits contain sugar.

Should know: If after eating you suddenly feel sleepy and feel tired, it means that the food was not right. Review your diet, remove foods that have a bad effect on your well-being.

Fresh air is our everything!

Ventilate the room! The cold season is not a reason to stop allowing fresh air into the room. Often autumn drowsiness, and with it the blues, fall on people due to lack of oxygen and fresh air.

Be calm about constant access to fresh air. Often people who catch colds and get sick are people who do not ventilate their rooms and are afraid of drafts. No need to sit down open window, freeze. Beds, sofas, and armchairs should not be placed right next to the window or balcony, although this is now highly encouraged by modern designers. Sleep with the window slightly open in any weather. Sleeping in a stuffy, unventilated room contributes to heavy sleep and awakening, and poor health in the morning.

Try to go to bed not too late. Lack of sleep negatively affects your well-being and mood. Psychologists advise preparing some surprise for yourself in the evening for an easy awakening. It might be new good cream for face, new blouse, perfume, even a cake for breakfast (sometimes, without fanaticism)!

The cause of the autumn blues can also be the lack of warm shoes and clothes. Take care of your wardrobe in advance so that when cold days arrive, you are dressed for the season. Of course, beautiful clothes and shoes will add to your mood, in which you want to “show yourself in public” as soon as possible!

You can get rid of the autumn blues . , lack of sleep, feeling unwell. Eat more vegetables and fruits, ventilate the room, treat yourself to all sorts of pleasures, walk in the fresh air and don’t be mopey!

Psychologist's page: HOW TO CONQUER THE AUTUMN BLINGS Everyone habitually associates it with seasonal cooling and decreasing daylight hours. Only the second has been scientifically proven. So, at a minimum, you need to add more light and movement to your daily schedule. Psychologist Pavel Alfimov will talk about the features of the dark period of the year and ways to survive it without losses. “When the days become so short that I have to leave for work while it’s still dark and return at dusk, it’s like I’m hibernating,” admits 27-year-old Alina. “I have a hard time forcing myself to get up in the morning, and during the day I feel sleepy. Everything annoys me, and the most unpleasant thing is that I eat something all the time.” Alina’s feelings in the autumn-winter period are shared by about 10% healthy people V different countries. Once upon a time in the old days this depressed state was called autumn blues, today it is seasonal affective disorder(SAD) or winter depression. "Most of us don't even notice seasonal changes mood, but some stop coping with their usual stress. They feel sad and depressed, easily offended and worried about trifles. However psychological manifestations may not be as noticeable as physiological ones - lethargy, increased appetite and drowsiness. By the way, with classic depression, the patient, on the contrary, loses sleep and eats worse. If these symptoms are observed for at least two weeks, we can talk about seasonal disorder." Why is the mood unstable in autumn? According to statistics, SAD is most often affected by women who live far from the equator. Indeed, in the northern latitudes in the autumn-winter period, the days become noticeably short, and the lack of sunlight, in fact, is what causes the disorder. “We feel the change of seasons first of all... with our eyes,” explains the expert. - In autumn the amount decreases bright light, entering the retina of the eye, and from the retina there are paths to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus - the main generator of circadian rhythms. This nucleus controls the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and synchronizes the work " biological clock» organism. During the dark months of the year, melatonin is produced in excess, which is why we feel lethargic and overwhelmed even during the day.” But serotonin, the “joy hormone” responsible for mood stability, which we need during the day, is produced much less. All this disrupts our circadian (daily) rhythms and disrupts our work nervous system. In young people, due to the greater plasticity of their brains, circadian rhythms are even less stable, and this, apparently, is the reason for their special vulnerability. According to one theory, the homeland of our ancestors is the savannah, the African steppes, that is, latitudes closer to the equator. “In general, it is not very physiological for a person to live in northern latitudes. There is a theory that the homeland of our ancestors is the savannah, the African steppes, that is, latitudes closer to the equator. And our brain is evolutionarily configured to perceive a lot of light. In fact, it is adapted to life in constant summer conditions.” Hence the conclusion: the higher geographic latitude, the higher the risk of SAD. This fact, by the way, is clearly confirmed by data from a large-scale study conducted in the USA. Analyzing the well-being of residents of the northern and southern states, psychologists recorded only 2.8% of residents in sunny Florida with symptoms of SAD, while in Alaska the figure was 8%. This issue has not been studied in Russia, but it can be assumed that the difference between the so-called Anapa and Norilsk will be approximately the same. Is it dark or cold? Having recently left behind a rainy and cold summer, we speculate that the lack of the usual heat and the transition from spring straight into autumn may exacerbate the symptoms of seasonal depression. Is it so? “The effect will not be as noticeable as we tend to think. Despite the fact that it was quite humid and cool this summer, in general, the length of daylight hours was satisfactory, as it should be in the summer.” In most cases, seasonal disorder is treatable. “Of course, we are more comfortable living in a warm place, but the signs of seasonal disorder are associated precisely with a decrease in daylight hours, and not with a drop in air temperature,” the expert continues. Therefore, in principle, bad weather may create an additional unfavorable background, but most likely it will not change the number of seasonal depressive episodes. Most often, seasonal fluctuations in mood and well-being do not poison our lives so much as to require the intervention of a specialist. But if you can’t work at all, don’t want to see anyone, take psychoactive substances and feel complete hopelessness, you should consult a psychiatrist. The fact is that in some cases, SAD may be another (seasonal) episode of one of the serious diagnoses - recurrent depression (major depressive disorder) or bipolar disorder. Cheer up. Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to live near the equator. But there are ways to ease the symptoms of the autumn blues. Turn up the light. A person with seasonal mood swings needs 10 times more light than others. Unfortunately, it is impossible to stock up on ultraviolet light “for future use” - the sun’s rays do not have a cumulative effect. Therefore, from the beginning of September until the end of winter, it is necessary to carry out insolation. It is best to walk outdoors in natural light. If this is not possible, turn on the fluorescent lamp every morning for 30–60 minutes. According to Nassir Ghaemi, a professor of psychiatry from Boston, this duration is most effective. Take vitamin D and melatonin. The skin also absorbs Sun rays, under their influence, vitamin D is formed in the body, which acts as an antidepressant and helps with sleep disorders. Its source for ultraviolet deficiency is fatty varieties fish and nutritional supplements containing vitamin D. Melatonin preparations help regulate disrupted circadian rhythms, but they should be taken after consultation with a doctor. Move. Do at least 30 minutes a day for aerobic exercise - cycling, running, swimming, dancing. Movement saturates the body with oxygen and increases overall tone. In most cases, seasonal disorder is treatable, and it is especially helpful to combine different ways, combining insolation with cognitive psychotherapy sessions or medication. You shouldn’t count on it going away on its own. Unless, of course, you plan to move to southern latitudes. Exercises to combat the autumn blues Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy helps well in the fight against seasonal disorder. Patients with depression have extremely negative views about themselves, the world around them and their future. These ideas manifest themselves in the form of negative automatic thoughts that are so fleeting that a person does not have time to realize them and accepts them as the truth. Clinical psychologist Yulia Zakharova offers an exercise that will help you notice these thoughts and distance yourself from them. If your mood has deteriorated, remember when it started. What happened? For example, a situation: you remember how you dropped your smartphone. Try to understand what thoughts this situation caused, what you thought before your mood deteriorated. How is the situation related to your personality, the attitude of others towards you, and forecasts for the future? For example, thoughts: “It’s always like this for me! Everything is falling out of hand. If only I had bought the case on time! Clueless!” Treat your thoughts with a dose of sober criticism. Think about what facts confirm your thoughts and what facts contradict them? Do these thoughts help you cope with the problem or, on the contrary, increase your feelings of hopelessness? For example, analysis: “I actually rarely break anything. Here's this smartphone and grandma's mug. Self-recrimination only makes me upset; it doesn’t help me be more careful.” Try restating the thoughts in point 2 in a more realistic way. Avoid self-deprecation, generalizations (everything, always, never), and shoulds. Figure out what you can do to improve the situation. For example: “Sometimes I can break things, just like other people. I’ll buy a case and try to be more careful.” Author: Psychologist-psychiatrist Pavel Alfimov The article was prepared using materials from the site.

After a hot summer, full of events, vacations and good weather, comes a streak of autumn, often rainy days, cloudy skies, piercing winds, and the thermometer tends to drop every day. It is quite normal that a person, being a naturally thermophilic and warm-blooded creature, misses sunny days and is sad. Of course, there are such exceptions and optimists in the world as the genius of Russian literature Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, for whom autumn was his favorite time of year. It was in the fall that he was filled with inspiration to create beautiful creative masterpieces.

What should those for whom autumn brings the blues do? And what is this?

Blues is a general depressed state, gloomy thoughts, despondency and fatigue, melancholy and a feeling of hopelessness, a decrease in a person’s emotional and energetic state. It seems that this state will never end, will not pass, that all the troubles and misfortunes have gathered in one place and are intended for specific person. There is no desire to continue living in the same rhythm, habitual, necessary things are abandoned, and communication with friends is reduced. Some people tend to blame the world around them for their condition, while others tend to engage in self-flagellation.

You can and should fight the blues. There are several ways that will help us.

1. Make changes to your diet. There are a number of foods that, when consumed, can significantly change a person’s mood. This walnuts and chocolate, cheese, the whole group of citrus fruits. Bananas, grapes, pears, carrots and red peppers. Drink tea with honey. It is honey that provides the strongest resistance to melancholy.

Add these foods, or some of them, to your diet. Take vitamin B to support your nervous system.

* infusions of rose hips and hawthorn, as well as raspberry and nettle leaves can improve the condition and relieve tension,

* turnip juice has a sedative effect,

* mixture walnuts, honey and hazel will lift your spirits.

2. Changing our lifestyle.

Even if you don't really like walking in the fresh air, convince yourself otherwise. Take a break from the computer, limit your interaction with gadgets as much as possible and go for a walk. Fresh air, active image life and hiking– are required in our recipe.

3. For actively working people - set real, achievable goals. Autumn - no best time for jerks, tension and unnecessary grief. Small productive victories will be a great inspiration and incentive for future horizons.

4. Recharge yourself with energy. Along with the temperature outside the window, energy leaves our body. Nature is a natural source of energy. Visit a park, forest, river or seashore. There are donor trees that can charge a person with energy, give strength, positivity, and improve mood.

* Birch brings harmony back to life.

* Oak is able to give clarity of thought and make the right decision.

* Pine has the ability to provide creative inspiration.

* Linden will reduce excitability and aggression.

Go to the tree, address it, lean against it, express a request.

5. Eat well. Healthy food gives the body energy and improves mood. Treat yourself to something delicious. Favorite candies, seafood salad, pancakes with cottage cheese, strudel or just fried potatoes. And let the whole world wait!

6. Find an interesting business, passion, hobby. Start studying foreign language, visit Gym, swimming pool, take up tennis, badminton, yoga or just chess. Enjoy your new hobby.

Read books. Good, kind, positive, always with a happy ending.

7. Sing and shout. Depending on the state of your soul. Singing improves mood and is a good prevention of ENT diseases, which actively worsen in the fall. With a scream you can throw out negativity, get rid of anger, aggression, irritation. You can definitely sing at home. But it’s better to scream in the lap of nature alone.

8. Spend time with family, loved ones, friends. Hug your children often. They are great energizers and sources of positivity. Selfless and generous.

9. Get enough sleep. Dream - natural medicine, accessible to everyone. Put off until tomorrow those things that can wait. Tomorrow will be a new day, new strength and energy for those things left yesterday.

At the end of the working day, take a warm bubble bath, essential oils, with a cup of tea. Enjoy the warmth and peace.

Visit the solarium. For sunlight- like food.

In countries where the number of sunny days per year fluctuates around 300 days a year, people practically do not experience the blues. Southerners come under natural light therapy, which is so necessary for our body. If possible, visit the southern country.

Love yourself, appreciate and make yourself happy. And no blues!