The most funny part is that they call it disorder, seasonal affective disorder. Disorder, think about that word. It's our biology that doesn't cope with the modern life that demands we function in artificial light. It's our inherent inbuilt biology they call disorder. Before electricity people just slept more during winter and did work the amount of daylight there was, but that's not allowed anymore.
They call it disorder because it affects the mood of the people and the physiological function of the body. They call it a medical disorder because they have the science to back it up and they are the medical expert.
No place is bad or better. they all have their positive and negative sides. it depends on us how to accept and be grateful for everything we receive. I also live in a tropical country, I like the morning sun and don't really like tropical mosquitoes which are there all year round. 😂😅
@@miaomiaopo I’d rather live in a sunlight dominant area. There’s no advantage to living in dark cold gloomy weather. So much more to do in the sun. Maybe you’re pale person who can’t handle the sun
I lived most of my life in an old, uninsulated house with small windows and hardly any light coming in even in summer. Used to start getting depressed the middle of August when I started to think of spending another winter there. Sold the place and bought a modern house with huge windows and skylights...with an east, south and west exposure...and very well insulated. Made a huge difference in my mood. Even cloudy days in winter are brighter for me now than sunny days were in my old home.
Great to hear . I live in Denmark where can also be grey and dark in a long winter, but I also have a good insulated place with big windows. Means a lot to get light.
Happy you're doing well. I live in sunniest part of California and find I do less because of extreme sun. Almost no fall or winter here. This summer had to block my windows
Funfact Scandinavia actually has one of the highest vitamin d proficiency rates in the world. Since Scandinavians have some of the lightest skin on average in the world they require less sun to make vitamin d, and soaking up sun by traveling to other countries is also a common trend
The sun provides not just vitamin D , but it provides lots of essential co factors that science is still studying . We as humans need solar energy, we can't be separated from nature
@@davidturner4076 Yea. Unfortunately many Scandinavians and north Europeans in general have not learned to love their skin tone. It’s quite sad honestly.
@@davidturner4076 Any reputable Dermatologist will say that there is no such thing as _"healthy tanning"._ Tanning is just a reaction of the skin *damaged* by prolonged sunlight exposure. People need to accept and love their natural skin tone; Scandinavians didn't evolve to live in Subsaharan Africa, just like Subsaharans are not bio-geographically adapted to live in Scandinavia. _E.g._ in Russia, the majority of people accept and love the nature of the cold winters, just like they appreciate their summer days; Western European mass media and famous _(tanned, lol...)_ people, on the other hand, tend to do the opposite and call a rainy, cloudy day a "bad, horrible and depressive" day, which predisposes the thoughts of the general population.
I notice this every year in Norway. The good thing is when the spring finally comes you really appreciate it. And in the winter you can try to ski or do other things that you can only do in the winter to feel more energized. But it’s rough to get up for work sometimes in the winter.
@@yaltazhu9683 Haha, good question. Where I live in Oslo there are a few hours of daylight in the winter, so you can try and get out during those hours. However, there are lots of lit trails in the forest for cross country skiing, and lit slopes for downhill skiing in the dark hours. 😊
I live in California and I complain that we have sun all year round and I crave rainy and snowy weather sometimes. I think I would never downplay the idea of having sun above your head all year round. Really grateful ❤️
@@theobserver9131 yeah San Francisco doesn’t enjoy the privileges of being in California due to its position. I stand corrected. I meant SoCal (Southern California). LA and San Diego have the best weather all year round. 🌴🌴🌴
One of the few benefits for me of living in Southern California was the weather and scenery. Hard to beat Southern California on those aspects anywhere in the world.
Definitely have winter blues and I hate it... I feel like I'm only at 50% from Oct-March, and the worst part in my case is the carb cravings. I always gain weight during winter and try to lose it in Spring and Summer. It has worked so far, but I sense it is more and more difficult the older I get.
I moved from South Texas to New England a couple of years ago. I've experienced none of what you said. The winter is exciting for me because we didn't have snow in South Texas and I actually like the cold. Goes to show this "disorder" is psychological and not physiological.
@@MrSupernova111 Winter blues has nothing to do with warm or cold/snow - but with more (sun)light (spring and summer) and less (sun)light (Fall and winter).
Yup same thing here in Ottawa, Canada. Long, cold winters. It, still, amazes me the difference in temperature and daylight between a 6 month period. In summer it can reach up to +40°C and sun starts to set at 9:45pm and and in winter it can go down to -40°C and sun starts to set at 4:20pm.
People who have red/auburn hair, or have the "red haired" gene, can metabolize Vit D from as little as ten minutes exposure to sunlight. I live in Australia, and was telling anyone who would listen from the age of 16 (a long time ago now) that after 10 minutes I could feel the sun sting my skin (and I'm not red haired, and my skin goes olive looking with sun exposure - but I do have red haired relatives so I've got the red haired gene). So unless I had to work outside, I stopped "sun tanning" from age 16, and am still having skin damage issues anyway. At one point I did a lot of gardening, and even driving in a car, with the sun pouring through the glass at my face, it's caused skin damage issues. In fact, I theorize that anything used on the skin, including moisturisers and sun block lotions, can increase issues with skin damage by changing how UV interacts with the skin; even worse if sunlight is boring through a glass window onto you. Sunlight is fantastic, but small doses are best. I cannot wear sunglasses, they make me incredibly sleepy (I used to try and wear them when driving). Sunglasses change the way the light interacts through the eye and I do not recommend, but have no studies to uphold my theory - but I was absolutely correct, from observing my own body, about how fast we burn from sunlight, so I'm sticking to my theories on sunglasses and certain lotions.
@@Kayenne54 - honestly, my first thought was, "that sucks". It really does bother me that we have such differences and some of us (you for example) cannot be exposed to the sun for vasts periods of sunlight, but I can bake it it with fewer consequences. I personally live in Thailand and since you are from Australia, I suppose I don't need to explain the temperature levels here. Anyway, stay safe and it's most impressive to hear you listen to your body. Really. Many, many, many people chose to fail to listen to their body and that's why they get sick, look bad, or feel like garbage. Good for you, na!
That is my ultimate trick to feel refreshed and awakened - if sunlight allow it - no matter how little sleep, I'll put my face in the sun for several minutes and I'll have a massive energy boost for hours _(I rarely ever consume caffeine either)_
While I was living in Essex a few years ago, I visited my family in Southern California in December of that year. On my 1st or 2nd night back, I slept for 8 hours, but was too tired to wake-up despite it being 12pm or so. I set my alarm for an hour later and felt back to normal. I asked my cousin why that happened and she said that I was suffering from seasonal affective disorder due to the dramatic difference in sunlight between Southern California and Southeast England. I was stunned because I didn't think I would be affected by something like that in my mid-20s.
It's still worshipped in my country, India. We have a festival dedicated to it. Nature is considered godly in Hinduism and there are festivals related to seasons. Rivers (although polluted, yeah the irony) are considered holy. I think anyone following Pagan religions would most likely worship the sun.
Moving to Southern California soon from Denmark. Lived in CA for a year some years ago and realized I feel way better when I'm exposed to daylight at a higher rate than what's the case in Denmark even though I've grown up here
Love the winterwonderland. Love the freshness. Don't mind the dark, candlelight everywhere, good wine. Hate the summer heat and the sweat and the unbearable light
Yes! Don't forget the smell of bonfire on winter air and ice crystal halos around the moon and streetlamps and hot chocolate. And Northern lights if you're lucky
I came across a video on youtube about an Indian guy in France who was happy *not* to have *that* much of sunlight. Same with me. I do *not* like about 12 hours of sunlight. In fact for me, nights\twilight\cloudy is mood lifter. I do believe in circadian rhythm but i wouldn't be surprised if 25 years from now, if climate change hasn't killed us, scientists found that it is not _so_ uniform across humans.
Now I finally understand why the Scandinavians love outdoor sports so much. When a good chunk of the year is spent in darkness inside, you value the warm sunlight months more and make the most of it.
That's how it is right now in Michigan it gets dark at 5pm which is the time i get off work which is in a warehouse all day. Im already missing summer and its not winter yet! It can feel depressing sometimes
Well... this just is about people living north of the polar circle, most of Scandinavia is south of it. Here we have more or less short days in winter months, but surely proper sunlight. Makes a lot of difference!
@@s1rm0rr1lswdsx3 I'm in the southernmost tip of Sweden and it starts getting dark here by 3 PM. And I'm in the very south! I would take 5 PM any day of the week. Stockholm is worse. And that's not even half way up Sweden. This place in the video is inside the Arctic circle at the very north, that's a whole different ballgame.
Yeah, also scandinavians get salary enough to be able to buy a house in the warm climate. I am from Finland i have a house in the south of france. Now i live here all the time, but before was coming every other month - 3 hours direct flight and ticket both ways less than 200 euros
Fantastic! BEST explanation I've ever seen, and concise. Bravo! I learned a lot, and I already knew about SAD, and had a friend who used a sun lamp because he had..that falling asleep thing, narcolepsy, and it helped-the sun lamp I mean.
I get the "winter blues" even though I live in a tropical country. During rainy season when the sun isn't shining for weeks it's just rain and the dark clouds and the cold wind, my mind gets cloudy I feel down I need to see and feel the King 🌞. I don't get out during summer tho unless it's early morning.. due to migraine.
While I appreciate the information on melatonin, I am surprised that this piece does not mention Vitamin D synthesis from sunlight, and it seems an incomplete take without talking about it. Also worth noting that many of the cultures that live in the far north eat foods that are high in Vitamin D, such as salmon and mackerel.
I live in Canada and I would say that I love cold weather and winter activities, but when it reaches -25 degrees celcius or colder, it is a nightmare 😂
@@besticudcumupwith202 As another Canadian, winter is my favorite season, except when it's too cold (-20 degrees or colder). You simply need to learn some winter activities
@@besticudcumupwith202 Well that's your opinion because I hate summer, more specifically in the recent years since it's now always extremely hot and humid (near 38-40 degrees in my city). And it will only get worse in the future....
As a Norwegian I lived in Brazil as a child ca 10 Degrees South of Equator and what struck me was the days and nights were almost equally long the year round;Sunrise at around 6-6:30 AM,Sunset at 6-6:30 and when the Sun started to drop it dropped fast so no long sunny evenings there due to the faster rotation at those latitudes.Compared to that I prefer the Annual cycle here in Norway level to the capital at 61 Deg N with dark winters but we get all the sunlight that we missed back in summer with Sunrise at 3:30- 4 PM and Sunset at 10:30.11 PM with longer lasting sunny evenings. There"s a price to pay for everything but the price here is worth it
Yeah but I assure you that you would be tired of dark snowy winters like us Swedes if you had to live here during several months without sunlight. Winter's suck and are depressing.
I moved in Sweden 10 years ago from Italy, and if the first winter went good, now I have begun to feel the effects of dark days during the winter, and I don't live up up in the North like Abisko but a bit southern, still we have "light" from 9 to 14 in winter time...when I say light I mean a kind of soft light, since the sun is always behind a thick layer of clouds and rain or snow...
It's interesting because I live in the southern United States where we have mild winters but typically very hot summers, and I often feel like I get SAD . . . but during the summer instead of winter. I hate extremely hot temperatures, so when it starts getting above 85 degrees I usually stay indoors and don't have very much motivation to go do things. And since I'm staying indoors more I don't get very much light exposure, just like for people in colder climates during the winter.
Different with me, I live in a country where there is no winter, summer most of the year and I mostly sleep in the day and woke up at night. I love the silence of the night, cool air and calm. I work at home and I didn't need to go out so I sleep at day time when it's hot and chaotic and loud and working at night and sleep again when the sun starting to rise. So basically I didn't see the sun.
I notice people that live in warmer climates are nicer and more easy going and people from cold areas of the world are just that . Cold and moody. Living in the north east Texas is pretty good we get the four seasons. I'm glad our winters are usually pretty mild and still able to get sunny and mid to upper 70's some winters.
San Francisco is not too cold but i used to get the winter blues anyway. I started using wool under my clothes. I use more layers now and i have not more blues.
I get summer blues; I hate the glare of sunny days and love the long dark nights of winter. I love nights and hate mornings. Just shows we are all different.
I was born in the tropics and now live somewhere where winter is cold and a bit dark. I get deeply depressed, like clockwork every winter. I long to move back to the sun.
I have it really bad, on worst years I've had symptoms of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts. Some people don't experience any symptoms and it's less than maybe 1-5 % of population that get a severe case like mine. Bright light therapy helps, I spend an hour a day with my bright light. Going outdoors every day is important and getting enough excercise. I still get symptoms, but they're less severe. Every winter when I avoid those suicidal thoughts feels like a victory. I've learned to live with it, but I say we have a genetic memory for hibernation. It's not active in everyone, but if you look at our closest relatives in this environment, the bear and the badger, I don't think we're that different. Bears sleep most of the time in their nests, but badgers are more active. They don't sleep as much and sometimes come out of their tunnels, but even they spend most of their time "indoors". It's only natural for humans to slow down too when the winter is so dark.
@@franny5295 I did live a couple of winters in a sunnier climate, but that wasn't optimal either. I didn't have a job, I was away from my friends and relatives. I did manage to build a social network, but having two lives in different countries didn't work for me. I haven't been abroad in a long time. Besides, I live in Finland and our country has been ranked the happiest country in the world four times in a row now ;) Life is good, my seasonal traits are a part of who I am, and though it's difficult at times, I've learned to appreciate the process I go through with the cycle of seasons. I belong here.
@@Yum_Yum_Delicious_Cum yeah, I take D vitamin most of the year (have been taking it for the past 10 years during winter). Positive mindset does not work, as the symptoms are not imaginary. It is more important to accept what you're going through with all the feelings than trying to evade "negative thoughts". Only through acceptance can one learn to cope with the symptoms. And for anyone else giving advice, please stop. I only wanted to share my experience, because someone out there going through the same symptoms might benefit from hearing that others have it too and some have it really bad. I have met with several psychologists about my symptoms and they all seemed to think that I won't benefit from therapy and have good tools to cope with the situation. I don't disagree and that's why I say I've learned to live with it. Of course there are ways to alleviate the symptoms (most notably bright light therapy), but the root cause is the long and dark winter and it's not realistic to think that all the symptoms will just go away doing things right. You have to learn to live with it.
I have found a (rather unlikely) solution: take a very cold shower in the morning (maybe start with a few seconds of warm water and then shift to cold and shower in the cold water for at least 30 seconds). It makes you instantly happy and the mood remains high for most of the day! :) Drink something warm after the cold shower if you wish ;)
Actually best is cold shower -> get out in sun -> wim hof breaths, visualizing growing fire in solar plexus -> during breath retentions do the ground portion of the surya namaskar. If you're spiritual invoke Djin at the beginning. Extreme results and powerful inner fire 🔥
Wow now I am motivated to go out more. We receive a good amount of sunlight where I live and I am an introvert so I dont go out at all but yeah...maybe I should start basking in some sunlight in my balcony and open the blinds for sure.
This explains why I dislike my room so much. The window is facing the pipes of the building so no sunlight goes through it, except at noon for like 8 minutes when the Sun is in the middle of the sky. I would spend most of my day out in the living room because it had actual sunlight.
It is not so bad living with long periods of darkness, you get the opposite when summer hits. And as a Swede there is this magical rush of euphoria when spring arrives and you realise, yes, the season is changing, and we almost transform. You see a sudden change where suddenly everyone starts to come out of our shells from winter and life explodes (nature sleeps most of the winter and also reappears around spring). And you enjoy a magical summer with all life around you. And the autumn hits after months of excessive sunlight, it is time to go indoors, cosy up which we are experts on. Sure winter will be long but we know spring will return. Compare this to living closer to the equator. I as a Swede did, and honestly I got depressed. Every day all year the sun came up and went down around the same. Yes, there were seasons but the changes were minimal. I was relieved to return to Sweden and what I can describe as magic (though it is perfectly normal).
@ 5:01 / 5:33. Does sunlight, or the lack off it, effect how our bodies grow and develop? I can't help but notice the shape of the neck and shoulders of this young man and question how?
@World Viral Daily african nations are the least advanced in our world. While Scandinavians have some of the most advanced societies in the world. Go figure.
@@dmy_tro The Scandinavian had no civilization before Rome and Greece. And Rome and Greece didn't exist when the Egyptian, the Harappan civilization and the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent were flourishing, and they were all in hot weather localities. Go figure.
My severe, stubborn, disabling (Scalp to toe including face) Psoriasis and Eczema disappearing rapidly with just 2.5 hours of sunbathing / forest bathing 14 days ago. The next day, after another 2.5 hours of sun and forest bathing, my inflammation of my skin has reduced 70% and turning from red to brown. My Psoriatic arthritis, depression, anxiety, panic attack, fear of future, feelings of abandoned, loneliness, isolation, rage, heartbroken has reduced 70%. All in just 1 day. I can't wait to see results for the next 30 days my combined with diet of ; High raw vegan Low-fat Salt-free Gluten-free Fermented-free Updated : Day 14 Psoriasis lesions gone around 90 % and leaving with dark scar. (Which is good) Skin is smooth.
I like to go way back to our cave days - we hunted and gathered during the day then retreated to the cave to be safe and sleep. The people who crossed the Bering Straight they were already acclimated to those conditions. They prepared for the long dark winter.
Every winter my mood is getting darker and darker in winter time specially if there is no snow at all :( When I can I buy house/apartment in Portugal near beach and be there every year atleast 5 months that will be my goal in life
And this should also explain the natural coloring our skin has. Near the equator, too much sunlight, too much melanin to protect from excessive UV rays ... Darker the skin. Farther away from the equator/sun..lighter the skin..allows maximum absorption of sunlight whenever the sun shines... Closer the sun, darker the skin. Farther the sun, lighter the skin. Such beautiful ways of nature to protect life 💖
BANGALORE in south india is by far the best city on earth in terms of weather...it lies exactly between the tropic of cancer and equator..so here sunlight is never a problem...we are at an altitude of 1000m above sea level so even though being close to equator we never feel hot or humid...an ideal temperature for human survival is below 30 degree celcius and above 15 degree celcius so here except few hours in some afternoons in march and april we never see temperature above 33..when whole of india is burning in heat during April and july we chill in temperatures below 30 temperatures...it rains from may to November..few times rains will start as early as mid april and end in mid December...winters are cool with only night temperatures dropping below 20 from November to mid February so there is absolutely no problem in here.
There they want Sun and here in this part of the world (Subcontinent region Pakistan India and other countries) people want a less exposure of Sun because of too much heat in Summer seasons which resulted in melting glaciers. Extreme weathers are not for Humans. These extreme zones should be left for nature only.
Doesn't actually tell how it affects the brain. Only the seasonal disorder, no the science behind the effects from lack of sunlight. Plus, interesting how that is categorised as a 'Disorder' is actually a body's natural reaction. Just goes to show how far out of touch with nature and our natural cycles humans have become and while science does keep improving, the darker side of it is that it reverses the concepts, confusing natural occurrences with 'disorders' and a whole chain reaction to follow (nations hooked on anti-depressants instead of going 'back to our roots', to the sources of our problems!).
I live in San Jose, California. Beautiful weather. Never leaving this city no matter how expensive it gets. I'll work smarter/harder to make more money but mot move to an inferior weather place.
The most funny part is that they call it disorder, seasonal affective disorder. Disorder, think about that word. It's our biology that doesn't cope with the modern life that demands we function in artificial light. It's our inherent inbuilt biology they call disorder. Before electricity people just slept more during winter and did work the amount of daylight there was, but that's not allowed anymore.
Omg I've been saying this for so long, thank you.
Exactly!
It's unnatural to live in a place that winter even exists, let alone a place that winter is so severe that there's no sunlight at all.
They call it disorder because it affects the mood of the people and the physiological function of the body. They call it a medical disorder because they have the science to back it up and they are the medical expert.
@@PuffOfSmoke youre using words to prove your point, not logic.
As someone living in the tropics, this really makes me feel more grateful for the daily sunlight we experience every day.
No place is bad or better. they all have their positive and negative sides. it depends on us how to accept and be grateful for everything we receive.
I also live in a tropical country, I like the morning sun and don't really like tropical mosquitoes which are there all year round. 😂😅
True. I was actually pissed for having a summer like weather even during December but I just can't live without sunlight!
as Someone who lives in Svalbard, i am very grateful for the dark season (nov-feb). its a magical time and we love it.
@@miaomiaopo I’d rather live in a sunlight dominant area. There’s no advantage to living in dark cold gloomy weather. So much more to do in the sun. Maybe you’re pale person who can’t handle the sun
@@Dooger111 we need to spend more money during the dark winter... More sun, more vitamin D and we can feel happier.
I lived most of my life in an old, uninsulated house with small windows and hardly any light coming in even in summer. Used to start getting depressed the middle of August when I started to think of spending another winter there.
Sold the place and bought a modern house with huge windows and skylights...with an east, south and west exposure...and very well insulated. Made a huge difference in my mood. Even cloudy days in winter are brighter for me now than sunny days were in my old home.
Great to hear . I live in Denmark where can also be grey and dark in a long winter, but I also have a good insulated place with big windows. Means a lot to get light.
@Janitor Queen
You should move to England. The south west in particular.
I'm very happy for you! ☺️
I wish I want see your places....
Happy you're doing well. I live in sunniest part of California and find I do less because of extreme sun. Almost no fall or winter here. This summer had to block my windows
I live in the UK and I get winter blues every year. I can’t imagine how life can be like without any sunlight during the winter.
Put some daylight light bulbs in your house. If they'll charge solar panels they'll affect your brain too.
Funfact Scandinavia actually has one of the highest vitamin d proficiency rates in the world. Since Scandinavians have some of the lightest skin on average in the world they require less sun to make vitamin d, and soaking up sun by traveling to other countries is also a common trend
The sun provides not just vitamin D , but it provides lots of essential co factors that science is still studying . We as humans need solar energy, we can't be separated from nature
@@theancientsancients1769 We are nature
Thats why Norway has an extremelly high rate of skin cancer.
@@davidturner4076 Yea. Unfortunately many Scandinavians and north Europeans in general have not learned to love their skin tone. It’s quite sad honestly.
@@davidturner4076 Any reputable Dermatologist will say that there is no such thing as _"healthy tanning"._ Tanning is just a reaction of the skin *damaged* by prolonged sunlight exposure. People need to accept and love their natural skin tone; Scandinavians didn't evolve to live in Subsaharan Africa, just like Subsaharans are not bio-geographically adapted to live in Scandinavia. _E.g._ in Russia, the majority of people accept and love the nature of the cold winters, just like they appreciate their summer days; Western European mass media and famous _(tanned, lol...)_ people, on the other hand, tend to do the opposite and call a rainy, cloudy day a "bad, horrible and depressive" day, which predisposes the thoughts of the general population.
This makes me appreciate more our Cape Town weather. We have problems alright, but we are blessed with good climate- all seasons throughout the year.
Your problems far outweight the pros.
@@davidturner4076 sak
I notice this every year in Norway. The good thing is when the spring finally comes you really appreciate it. And in the winter you can try to ski or do other things that you can only do in the winter to feel more energized. But it’s rough to get up for work sometimes in the winter.
This is a really dumb question from someone living far away from the North Pole: when you say skiing in winter, do you mean skiing in the dark?
@@yaltazhu9683 Haha, good question. Where I live in Oslo there are a few hours of daylight in the winter, so you can try and get out during those hours. However, there are lots of lit trails in the forest for cross country skiing, and lit slopes for downhill skiing in the dark hours. 😊
@@JonnaaM That sounds super interesting, and a bit dangerous at the same time! Thanks for sharing!
watching this video made me realise how much I take the sunlight I get every single day for granted. I'm grateful now
the morning sun is very pleasant isn't it...
I live in California and I complain that we have sun all year round and I crave rainy and snowy weather sometimes. I think I would never downplay the idea of having sun above your head all year round. Really grateful ❤️
When I visited San Francisco, it was always cold and cloudy.
@@theobserver9131 yeah San Francisco doesn’t enjoy the privileges of being in California due to its position.
I stand corrected. I meant SoCal (Southern California). LA and San Diego have the best weather all year round. 🌴🌴🌴
One of the few benefits for me of living in Southern California was the weather and scenery. Hard to beat Southern California on those aspects anywhere in the world.
@@BabsW 💯
Definitely have winter blues and I hate it... I feel like I'm only at 50% from Oct-March, and the worst part in my case is the carb cravings. I always gain weight during winter and try to lose it in Spring and Summer. It has worked so far, but I sense it is more and more difficult the older I get.
Research 5000IU vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 ( MK7 variant ) plus omega 3 fish oil which improves my winter blues more than anything
I moved from South Texas to New England a couple of years ago. I've experienced none of what you said. The winter is exciting for me because we didn't have snow in South Texas and I actually like the cold. Goes to show this "disorder" is psychological and not physiological.
@@MrSupernova111 Winter blues has nothing to do with warm or cold/snow - but with more (sun)light (spring and summer) and less (sun)light (Fall and winter).
@@johnofdebar4071 . You should try learning geography before commenting.
@@MrSupernova111 you should've simply watched the documentary (or at least read the title) before commenting
Yup same thing here in Ottawa, Canada. Long, cold winters.
It, still, amazes me the difference in temperature and daylight between a 6 month period. In summer it can reach up to +40°C and sun starts to set at 9:45pm and and in winter it can go down to -40°C and sun starts to set at 4:20pm.
when i get a dose of sunlight for 10 mins, I feel reenergized almost every time.
People who have red/auburn hair, or have the "red haired" gene, can metabolize Vit D from as little as ten minutes exposure to sunlight. I live in Australia, and was telling anyone who would listen from the age of 16 (a long time ago now) that after 10 minutes I could feel the sun sting my skin (and I'm not red haired, and my skin goes olive looking with sun exposure - but I do have red haired relatives so I've got the red haired gene). So unless I had to work outside, I stopped "sun tanning" from age 16, and am still having skin damage issues anyway. At one point I did a lot of gardening, and even driving in a car, with the sun pouring through the glass at my face, it's caused skin damage issues. In fact, I theorize that anything used on the skin, including moisturisers and sun block lotions, can increase issues with skin damage by changing how UV interacts with the skin; even worse if sunlight is boring through a glass window onto you. Sunlight is fantastic, but small doses are best. I cannot wear sunglasses, they make me incredibly sleepy (I used to try and wear them when driving). Sunglasses change the way the light interacts through the eye and I do not recommend, but have no studies to uphold my theory - but I was absolutely correct, from observing my own body, about how fast we burn from sunlight, so I'm sticking to my theories on sunglasses and certain lotions.
@@Kayenne54 - honestly, my first thought was, "that sucks". It really does bother me that we have such differences and some of us (you for example) cannot be exposed to the sun for vasts periods of sunlight, but I can bake it it with fewer consequences. I personally live in Thailand and since you are from Australia, I suppose I don't need to explain the temperature levels here. Anyway, stay safe and it's most impressive to hear you listen to your body. Really. Many, many, many people chose to fail to listen to their body and that's why they get sick, look bad, or feel like garbage. Good for you, na!
That is my ultimate trick to feel refreshed and awakened - if sunlight allow it - no matter how little sleep, I'll put my face in the sun for several minutes and I'll have a massive energy boost for hours _(I rarely ever consume caffeine either)_
I have really pale skin and I also only need about 10 minutes.
While I was living in Essex a few years ago, I visited my family in Southern California in December of that year. On my 1st or 2nd night back, I slept for 8 hours, but was too tired to wake-up despite it being 12pm or so. I set my alarm for an hour later and felt back to normal. I asked my cousin why that happened and she said that I was suffering from seasonal affective disorder due to the dramatic difference in sunlight between Southern California and Southeast England. I was stunned because I didn't think I would be affected by something like that in my mid-20s.
I love winter and the darkness, makes me feel cosy.
me too
Same
Makes you understand why some ancient peoples actually worshipped the sun
It's still worshipped in my country, India. We have a festival dedicated to it. Nature is considered godly in Hinduism and there are festivals related to seasons. Rivers (although polluted, yeah the irony) are considered holy. I think anyone following Pagan religions would most likely worship the sun.
@@kritikakishore6689 true to add to your ans. SuryaNamaskar, festival like Pongal or Baisakhi, MakarSankranthi or Uttarayan celebrate the sunny days .
How about worshipping the Lord God YHVH who created the sun?
Dont forget the Moon too... 😂😂
@@haroldseah306 Be my guest
I wake at 12 noon, stay indoors a lot, hardly go out and go to sleep at 5 in the mornings. I feel my heart hurting even for the slightest effort.
as a Sri Lanka living in the UK I can 100% agree with this
Moving to Southern California soon from Denmark. Lived in CA for a year some years ago and realized I feel way better when I'm exposed to daylight at a higher rate than what's the case in Denmark even though I've grown up here
Love the winterwonderland. Love the freshness. Don't mind the dark, candlelight everywhere, good wine. Hate the summer heat and the sweat and the unbearable light
Are you a vampire? 🤣😂
@@theancientsancients1769 yes indeed
Yes! Don't forget the smell of bonfire on winter air and ice crystal halos around the moon and streetlamps and hot chocolate. And Northern lights if you're lucky
@@star-cursed exactly!
I am with you. I live in southern California over exposed to sun. Wish I could move.
Wow. Here in Dubai we want the Sun gone already. Crazy how different life is around the world.
I came across a video on youtube about an Indian guy in France who was happy *not* to have *that* much of sunlight. Same with me. I do *not* like about 12 hours of sunlight. In fact for me, nights\twilight\cloudy is mood lifter. I do believe in circadian rhythm but i wouldn't be surprised if 25 years from now, if climate change hasn't killed us, scientists found that it is not _so_ uniform across humans.
Now I finally understand why the Scandinavians love outdoor sports so much. When a good chunk of the year is spent in darkness inside, you value the warm sunlight months more and make the most of it.
That's how it is right now in Michigan it gets dark at 5pm which is the time i get off work which is in a warehouse all day. Im already missing summer and its not winter yet! It can feel depressing sometimes
Which might explain why people don’t sleep as deep around a full moon 🌕
Well... this just is about people living north of the polar circle, most of Scandinavia is south of it. Here we have more or less short days in winter months, but surely proper sunlight. Makes a lot of difference!
@@s1rm0rr1lswdsx3 I'm in the southernmost tip of Sweden and it starts getting dark here by 3 PM. And I'm in the very south! I would take 5 PM any day of the week. Stockholm is worse. And that's not even half way up Sweden. This place in the video is inside the Arctic circle at the very north, that's a whole different ballgame.
Yeah, also scandinavians get salary enough to be able to buy a house in the warm climate. I am from Finland i have a house in the south of france. Now i live here all the time, but before was coming every other month - 3 hours direct flight and ticket both ways less than 200 euros
Fantastic! BEST explanation I've ever seen, and concise. Bravo! I learned a lot, and I already knew about SAD, and had a friend who used a sun lamp because he had..that falling asleep thing, narcolepsy, and it helped-the sun lamp I mean.
I get the "winter blues" even though I live in a tropical country. During rainy season when the sun isn't shining for weeks it's just rain and the dark clouds and the cold wind, my mind gets cloudy I feel down I need to see and feel the King 🌞. I don't get out during summer tho unless it's early morning.. due to migraine.
I'm appreciating My Kenyan 🇰🇪🇰🇪 Country more, Africa We're blessed differently but we don't realise it until this kind of stories come out
While I appreciate the information on melatonin, I am surprised that this piece does not mention Vitamin D synthesis from sunlight, and it seems an incomplete take without talking about it. Also worth noting that many of the cultures that live in the far north eat foods that are high in Vitamin D, such as salmon and mackerel.
As a tropical dude, I'd like to experience some cold at least once. And like see the aurora once in my life.
I live in Canada and I would say that I love cold weather and winter activities, but when it reaches -25 degrees celcius or colder, it is a nightmare 😂
...as a Canadian, wtf are you saying?
Trust me, it gets old fast.
@@besticudcumupwith202 As another Canadian, winter is my favorite season, except when it's too cold (-20 degrees or colder). You simply need to learn some winter activities
@@PG-3462 ...lived here over 50 years. Been there, done that.
Winter sucks.
@@besticudcumupwith202 Well that's your opinion because I hate summer, more specifically in the recent years since it's now always extremely hot and humid (near 38-40 degrees in my city). And it will only get worse in the future....
As a Norwegian I lived in Brazil as a child ca 10 Degrees South of Equator and what struck me was the days and nights were almost equally long the year round;Sunrise at around 6-6:30 AM,Sunset at 6-6:30 and when the Sun started to drop it dropped fast so no long sunny evenings there due to the faster rotation at those latitudes.Compared to that I prefer the Annual cycle here in Norway level to the capital at 61 Deg N with dark winters but we get all the sunlight that we missed back in summer with Sunrise at 3:30- 4 PM and Sunset at 10:30.11 PM with longer lasting sunny evenings. There"s a price to pay for everything but the price here is worth it
Happy Birthday! Many happy returns of the day!
I'm from a very tropical island country. But I love dark snowy winters.. Snow is a beautiful dream that makes me happy
Yeah but I assure you that you would be tired of dark snowy winters like us Swedes if you had to live here during several months without sunlight. Winter's suck and are depressing.
I moved in Sweden 10 years ago from Italy, and if the first winter went good, now I have begun to feel the effects of dark days during the winter, and I don't live up up in the North like Abisko but a bit southern, still we have "light" from 9 to 14 in winter time...when I say light I mean a kind of soft light, since the sun is always behind a thick layer of clouds and rain or snow...
If you live in the UK switch your home lights on during the day in winter. It makes a huge difference.
It's interesting because I live in the southern United States where we have mild winters but typically very hot summers, and I often feel like I get SAD . . . but during the summer instead of winter. I hate extremely hot temperatures, so when it starts getting above 85 degrees I usually stay indoors and don't have very much motivation to go do things. And since I'm staying indoors more I don't get very much light exposure, just like for people in colder climates during the winter.
Taking vitamin D3 really does help with the mood when you're not spending enough time under the sun.
Different with me, I live in a country where there is no winter, summer most of the year and I mostly sleep in the day and woke up at night. I love the silence of the night, cool air and calm. I work at home and I didn't need to go out so I sleep at day time when it's hot and chaotic and loud and working at night and sleep again when the sun starting to rise. So basically I didn't see the sun.
Where do you live? Just a bit curious!
@@yaminikrishna7174 Malaysia, Malaysia Truly Asia.
@@theweatherisaokay4964 you live like a bat. 😅.
I'm also like that sometimes on holidays. 😂
Love 💓 from your neighboring country. Indonesia
@@miaomiaopo We are serumpun senusantara 😍
I notice people that live in warmer climates are nicer and more easy going and people from cold areas of the world are just that . Cold and moody. Living in the north east Texas is pretty good we get the four seasons. I'm glad our winters are usually pretty mild and still able to get sunny and mid to upper 70's some winters.
Crap, maybe I should be living there, I get such a big wave of energy after the sun goes down.
same
Same, feels invigorating at dusk and sleepy at dawn.
San Francisco is not too cold but i used to get the winter blues anyway. I started using wool under my clothes. I use more layers now and i have not more blues.
I live in the tropics and it gets hard during the monsoon when the weather is gloomy for couple of weeks. Completly without the Sun I will go crazy.
I get summer blues; I hate the glare of sunny days and love the long dark nights of winter. I love nights and hate mornings. Just shows we are all different.
I was born in the tropics and now live somewhere where winter is cold and a bit dark. I get deeply depressed, like clockwork every winter. I long to move back to the sun.
Extremism either way is bad… I live in the desert and I enjoy those few days it’s cloudy and rains !
Love the winter. Love the dark.
Enjoy the summer. ..
I have it really bad, on worst years I've had symptoms of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts. Some people don't experience any symptoms and it's less than maybe 1-5 % of population that get a severe case like mine.
Bright light therapy helps, I spend an hour a day with my bright light. Going outdoors every day is important and getting enough excercise. I still get symptoms, but they're less severe. Every winter when I avoid those suicidal thoughts feels like a victory.
I've learned to live with it, but I say we have a genetic memory for hibernation. It's not active in everyone, but if you look at our closest relatives in this environment, the bear and the badger, I don't think we're that different. Bears sleep most of the time in their nests, but badgers are more active. They don't sleep as much and sometimes come out of their tunnels, but even they spend most of their time "indoors". It's only natural for humans to slow down too when the winter is so dark.
If it affects you that bad you might be better off to relocate because that sounds horrible.
@@franny5295 I did live a couple of winters in a sunnier climate, but that wasn't optimal either. I didn't have a job, I was away from my friends and relatives. I did manage to build a social network, but having two lives in different countries didn't work for me. I haven't been abroad in a long time.
Besides, I live in Finland and our country has been ranked the happiest country in the world four times in a row now ;) Life is good, my seasonal traits are a part of who I am, and though it's difficult at times, I've learned to appreciate the process I go through with the cycle of seasons. I belong here.
Take vitamine D tablets its will be much better. + mindset placebo works alot against winter "depresion"
@@Yum_Yum_Delicious_Cum yeah, I take D vitamin most of the year (have been taking it for the past 10 years during winter). Positive mindset does not work, as the symptoms are not imaginary. It is more important to accept what you're going through with all the feelings than trying to evade "negative thoughts". Only through acceptance can one learn to cope with the symptoms.
And for anyone else giving advice, please stop. I only wanted to share my experience, because someone out there going through the same symptoms might benefit from hearing that others have it too and some have it really bad. I have met with several psychologists about my symptoms and they all seemed to think that I won't benefit from therapy and have good tools to cope with the situation. I don't disagree and that's why I say I've learned to live with it. Of course there are ways to alleviate the symptoms (most notably bright light therapy), but the root cause is the long and dark winter and it's not realistic to think that all the symptoms will just go away doing things right. You have to learn to live with it.
BLESS UP all the tropical people.
I wish I lived there!
I’m from Florida and I hate it when it’s dark. The sun goes down like at 8 pm so we are spoiled.
I have found a (rather unlikely) solution: take a very cold shower in the morning (maybe start with a few seconds of warm water and then shift to cold and shower in the cold water for at least 30 seconds). It makes you instantly happy and the mood remains high for most of the day! :) Drink something warm after the cold shower if you wish ;)
My late father did this! (In Scotland) He swore by it. x
Actually best is cold shower -> get out in sun -> wim hof breaths, visualizing growing fire in solar plexus -> during breath retentions do the ground portion of the surya namaskar. If you're spiritual invoke Djin at the beginning. Extreme results and powerful inner fire 🔥
I love snow and winter, but the darkness isn’t nice.
Works for me just fine 🌌💜
But,on the otherside, it's really hot on tropical country. it also decreases our productivity.
Wow now I am motivated to go out more.
We receive a good amount of sunlight where I live and I am an introvert so I dont go out at all but yeah...maybe I should start basking in some sunlight in my balcony and open the blinds for sure.
This explains why I dislike my room so much. The window is facing the pipes of the building so no sunlight goes through it, except at noon for like 8 minutes when the Sun is in the middle of the sky. I would spend most of my day out in the living room because it had actual sunlight.
So why does eating carbs help?
Damn guess i gotta watch this
strong people
It is not so bad living with long periods of darkness, you get the opposite when summer hits. And as a Swede there is this magical rush of euphoria when spring arrives and you realise, yes, the season is changing, and we almost transform. You see a sudden change where suddenly everyone starts to come out of our shells from winter and life explodes (nature sleeps most of the winter and also reappears around spring). And you enjoy a magical summer with all life around you. And the autumn hits after months of excessive sunlight, it is time to go indoors, cosy up which we are experts on. Sure winter will be long but we know spring will return.
Compare this to living closer to the equator. I as a Swede did, and honestly I got depressed. Every day all year the sun came up and went down around the same. Yes, there were seasons but the changes were minimal. I was relieved to return to Sweden and what I can describe as magic (though it is perfectly normal).
@ 5:01 / 5:33. Does sunlight, or the lack off it, effect how our bodies grow and develop? I can't help but notice the shape of the neck and shoulders of this young man and question how?
I get the summer blues instead. Hate when it’s always sunny and hot.
because of this weather people are more intelligent to save food for the winter
@World Viral Daily african nations are the least advanced in our world. While Scandinavians have some of the most advanced societies in the world.
Go figure.
@@dmy_tro The Scandinavian had no civilization before Rome and Greece. And Rome and Greece didn't exist when the Egyptian, the Harappan civilization and the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent were flourishing, and they were all in hot weather localities.
Go figure.
Oh! No wonder I kept feeling sad this month
I live near the equator so I can’t imagine how people live without the sun. I feel so oppressive
I wish that tanning beds weren’t so bad for us. That bone penetrating heat from a tanning bed is so welcoming in winter.
From Connecticut to Miami..big change for me. But still live snow😊
I grew up in the tropics and I like darkness.
My severe, stubborn, disabling (Scalp to toe including face) Psoriasis and Eczema disappearing rapidly with just 2.5 hours of sunbathing / forest bathing 14 days ago.
The next day, after another 2.5 hours of sun and forest bathing, my inflammation of my skin has reduced 70% and turning from red to brown.
My Psoriatic arthritis, depression, anxiety, panic attack, fear of future, feelings of abandoned, loneliness, isolation, rage, heartbroken has reduced 70%.
All in just 1 day.
I can't wait to see results for the next 30 days my combined with diet of ;
High raw vegan
Low-fat
Salt-free
Gluten-free
Fermented-free
Updated :
Day 14
Psoriasis lesions gone around 90 % and leaving with dark scar. (Which is good)
Skin is smooth.
Such natural engineering of sun and body engineering which stimulates our life
Living in central Queensland lack of sunshine is NEVER a problem ...we spend our lives dreaming of shade..lol
I like to go way back to our cave days - we hunted and gathered during the day then retreated to the cave to be safe and sleep.
The people who crossed the Bering Straight they were already acclimated to those conditions. They prepared for the long dark winter.
Every winter my mood is getting darker and darker in winter time specially if there is no snow at all :(
When I can I buy house/apartment in Portugal near beach and be there every year atleast 5 months that will be my goal in life
Mate ..since late October..i have no get up & go...i feel fed up all the time an feel depressed....
and then there's me. Who feels more awakened, energised and motivated at night.
Love Winter but can't bear the long nights. My sleep is only 5-6 hours and breaks at 12 midnight to 3am, when I get a couple more hours in. Purgatory.
Used to suffer but since giving up wheat, barley, oats, rye eg gluten and sugar GONE!?
I live in Utah and the seasonal depression is bad enough here. I can't imagine living close to either pole. I would surely kms lmao
Damn man.. Winter is approaching here in the Himalayas and i hate it
And this should also explain the natural coloring our skin has. Near the equator, too much sunlight, too much melanin to protect from excessive UV rays ... Darker the skin.
Farther away from the equator/sun..lighter the skin..allows maximum absorption of sunlight whenever the sun shines...
Closer the sun, darker the skin.
Farther the sun, lighter the skin.
Such beautiful ways of nature to protect life 💖
That's in the far North of Sweden
I got a very large vivarium vit D light and bulb for use at home above my bed at noon for about 30 mins or more if feeling lazy,it's great
The most cold winter temperature that we have here is 20degrees at Min
And I from the place where the Sunshine even in winters.And Winter is just 2 months.
I live in Mexico and get winter blues every year 🙃
In my country, India....... We have to take care of ourselves to protect us from too much sunlight.
Lucky bastards
BANGALORE in south india is by far the best city on earth in terms of weather...it lies exactly between the tropic of cancer and equator..so here sunlight is never a problem...we are at an altitude of 1000m above sea level so even though being close to equator we never feel hot or humid...an ideal temperature for human survival is below 30 degree celcius and above 15 degree celcius so here except few hours in some afternoons in march and april we never see temperature above 33..when whole of india is burning in heat during April and july we chill in temperatures below 30 temperatures...it rains from may to November..few times rains will start as early as mid april and end in mid December...winters are cool with only night temperatures dropping below 20 from November to mid February so there is absolutely no problem in here.
There they want Sun and here in this part of the world (Subcontinent region Pakistan India and other countries) people want a less exposure of Sun because of too much heat in Summer seasons which resulted in melting glaciers. Extreme weathers are not for Humans. These extreme zones should be left for nature only.
I definitely sleep a lot more when there is no light.
I live in tropical country and I only get like 30 minutes of sunlight a day, because I hate sunlight,..
Hey come to Punjab with over 300 sunny days a year :D
Haina!
I am spanish but I live in UK, I simply have a four month "siesta", sorted 🤣🤣🤣
Auroras ❤😍
Blind people: visible confusion
Blind people benefit from sunlight. There's the vitamin D absorption, plus it feels good.
no daylight or sun would be a nightmare for me
Doesn't actually tell how it affects the brain. Only the seasonal disorder, no the science behind the effects from lack of sunlight. Plus, interesting how that is categorised as a 'Disorder' is actually a body's natural reaction. Just goes to show how far out of touch with nature and our natural cycles humans have become and while science does keep improving, the darker side of it is that it reverses the concepts, confusing natural occurrences with 'disorders' and a whole chain reaction to follow (nations hooked on anti-depressants instead of going 'back to our roots', to the sources of our problems!).
I live in San Jose, California. Beautiful weather. Never leaving this city no matter how expensive it gets. I'll work smarter/harder to make more money but mot move to an inferior weather place.
Hey, it's Ballarat!
We never should’ve left Ethiopia huh
I actually like the dark here in Sweden. Life slows down a bit. Less stress to do things all the time. /A Swede
im sleepy during the day and wide awake at night until the sun comes up...... i need help
Night shift worker from 18-30yrs old I think this would be easy for me.
I am Brazilian and wouldn't live in a place like this even if I was paid 10k a month.
Odd Nerdrum, The Return of the Sun, 1986.