As the temperatures drop, so do moods. Winter is approaching, and this can cause a bit of a slump for a lot of people. We asked some people around LHS their opinions on the winter blues, and left some tips to combat them.

Mrs. Jocelyn Hiatt, attendance director, spoke about how seasonal depression affects her. She thinks that things seem gray all the time, and that the lack of sunlight is harmful to mental health.

“I thrive in the sun, so when there’s no sun, it’s depressing to me. Now that I have kids, the holidays are a lot more stressful than they used to be,” said Hiatt.

Mrs. Hiatt doesn’t just see the gray throughout wintertime, though. She also talked about what she does to combat this melancholy season.

“I try to just find things to do with my family, like playing video games or going hiking,” Hiatt said

Emma-Rae Osborne, a senior at LHS, thinks that the sun setting earlier makes it a lot harder for students to get out of bed and prepare for school.

Emma said, “Nobody wants to get up for school because it’s dark outside, and the cold weather is brutal and nobody likes being frozen.”

Mr. Tribby, PE/Teen Leadership teacher, says that around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, many people would like to have someone to spend those holidays with. Tribby thinks that the weather has an effect on people and it could create a claustrophobic feeling.

“Winter can be a very sad time, I think people feel a lot more lonely when they’re cold.”

Tribby says that he plays video games and card games with his family when he is feeling the seasonal depression. “Eating helps a lot too.”

“The holidays are like a silver lining, there’s joy and happiness in them, but you’ll have to think of the people that don’t have that same privilege.” Tribby said.

If you’re someone who struggles with a decline in mental health and motivation during the wintertime, here are some tips you can use to feel better:

• Light exercise
• Surround yourself with friends/family
• Soak up every bit of sunlight you can get
• Take Vitamin D supplements
• Keep a journal
• Try some relaxation techniques, like meditating
• Look after your physical health as well as your mental
• Indoor activities, try something new!