You feel it before you can explain it

The air changes. The light shifts. Morning feels different—darker, quieter, or sharper. Your energy seems to stretch or contract with the temperature. Something in you adjusts, even when life around you hasn’t changed at all.

Maybe you notice:

  • a heaviness in late fall,
  • a sense of restlessness as winter approaches,
  • a burst of energy in spring,
  • a reflective mood in September,
  • or a longing for slowness in the summer heat.

You might think:

  • “Why am I more emotional lately?”
  • “I feel off but nothing is wrong.”
  • “I’m overwhelmed for no reason.”
  • “I thought only people with SAD went through this.”

The reality is that seasonal change affects everyone, not just those with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Our bodies, minds, moods, and internal rhythms respond naturally to changes in light, temperature, atmosphere, and seasonal meaning. This is not a failing. It’s a deeply human, deeply biological response.

Why Seasonal Change Affects Everyone

Even if you do not have clinical SAD, your emotional world is shaped by environmental shifts. Humans are seasonal beings. Our ancestors lived by light patterns, temperature changes, and natural cycles. Our bodies evolved in relationship with our environment.

So when the seasons shift, your internal world shifts too. Here’s why:

1. Light changes affect mood, energy, and sleep.

Light is one of the most powerful regulators of:

  • circadian rhythm,
  • serotonin levels,
  • melatonin release,
  • alertness,
  • and emotional balance.

When days shorten or lengthen, your body recalibrates. This can cause:

  • increased fatigue,
  • irritability,
  • emotional sensitivity,
  • difficulty waking up,
  • or sudden bursts of productivity.

Even small shifts in daylight subtly influence mood.

2. Temperature impacts your physiology.

Cold weather can create:

  • muscle tension,
  • internal bracing,
  • reduced physical activity,
  • more time indoors,
  • and slower metabolic processes.

Warm weather can create:

  • openness,
  • expansion,
  • increased movement,
  • social connection,
  • and a sense of vitality.

Your body is reacting long before your emotions catch up.

3. Seasonal shifts trigger psychological meaning.

Every season carries symbolic weight:

  • Autumn evokes transitions, endings, reflection.
  • Winter evokes stillness, isolation, dormancy, or introspection.
  • Spring evokes renewal, hope, or anxiety around change.
  • Summer evokes expansion, social pressure, fullness, or heat-induced lethargy.

These associations come from culture, memory, family traditions, and personal history. Your emotional response to a season often mirrors what that season has meant to you or your family throughout your life.

4. Seasonal transitions stir the unconscious.

From a psychodynamic perspective, seasonal change activates deep internal themes:

  • endings and beginnings,
  • feelings of being unprepared,
  • memories tied to certain times of year,
  • unresolved emotional cycles,
  • or past life transitions that occurred during specific seasons.

For example:

  • September might evoke school memories, structure, or anxiety.
  • December might evoke family dynamics, grief, or warmth.
  • Spring might evoke hope—or fear that hope will disappoint.

Seasonal shifts are not just about weather. They’re about meaning.

5. Social and cultural rhythms change.

Seasonal demands influence emotional experience:

  • Holidays
  • School years
  • Deadlines
  • Family gatherings
  • Financial pressures
  • Changes in routine
  • Shifts in social expectations
  • Travel or lack of travel

These transitions impact emotional stability, sometimes without your awareness.

How Seasonal Change Impacts Feelings

Even without SAD, you may notice:

  • increased sensitivity or irritability
  • craving rest or stillness
  • difficulty concentrating
  • emotional nostalgia
  • bursts of creativity
  • feeling ungrounded
  • low energy
  • sadness or grief
  • need for solitude
  • restlessness or anticipation

Your emotions may shift not because something is wrong—but because your system is adjusting to a new environmental rhythm.

The “Seasonal Self”: A Psychodynamic Lens

Each season can activate different parts of you.

Autumn
May awaken the part of you that reflects, grieves, or lets go.

Winter
May stir the part of you that feels alone, quiet, withdrawn, or longing for warmth.

Spring
May awaken both hope and anxiety—the tension between new beginnings and uncertainty.

Summer
May evoke playfulness, pressure to be social, or childhood memories of freedom or conflict.

Your reactions are part of your internal emotional system reorganizing with the external world.

You Are Not “Overreacting”: You Are Responding to Change

People often dismiss seasonal changes because they seem “minor.” But humans are wired to be highly responsive to:

  • light
  • warmth
  • climate
  • seasonal symbolism
  • routine shifts
  • collective energy
  • memories tied to seasons

This sensitivity is healthy. It means your emotional system is adaptive and attuned.

How to Support Yourself During Seasonal Transitions

Therapy can be incredibly helpful for exploring and soothing seasonal effects. But you can also support yourself with intentional practices. Here are gentle, relational strategies:

1. Slow down during transitions.
Your system is shifting — give it time.

2. Name what you feel.
Awareness reduces overwhelm.

3. Honour symbolic meaning.
Journal, reflect, or create rituals around the season.

4. Adjust your expectations.
Energy won’t be the same in February as in July.

5. Increase connection.
Seasonal loneliness can be eased through warm relationships.

6. Offer your body comfort.
Warmth, movement, stretching, grounding touch.

7. Seek support if your mood dips significantly.
Even non-SAD seasonal changes can benefit from therapeutic grounding.

How Therapy Helps With Seasonal Emotional Shifts

Therapy can support you in:

  • exploring how certain seasons affect your mood
  • understanding past experiences tied to specific times of year
  • improving emotional regulation
  • identifying patterns that resurface annually
  • strengthening resilience around transitions
  • developing personalized coping strategies
  • working with mind-body responses
  • building seasonal self-awareness

Therapy doesn’t just treat symptoms — it helps you understand your emotional rhythm.

You Don’t Have to Navigate Seasonal Change Alone

If you’re noticing shifts in your mood, energy, or emotional world as the seasons change, you’re not alone — and you’re not imagining it.
Your mind and body respond naturally to change, and therapy can help you explore these patterns with compassion and curiosity.

OPCC’s Referral Directory can support you in:

  • finding a therapist attuned to seasonal and emotional rhythms
  • understanding how seasonal change affects your inner world
  • developing tools to stay grounded through transitions

Visit the OPCC Referral Directory to connect with a therapist who can help you navigate seasonal change with support and insight.

This article is for general information and reflection only. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional mental health care. Everyone’s experiences are unique. If you are looking for individualized support, consider connecting with a therapist through the OPCC Referral Directory.