As the\u00a0cold winter\u00a0season approaches, many\u00a0individuals\u00a0often experience symptoms linked to Seasonal Depression and Seasonal Affective\u00a0Disorder\u00a0(SAD).\u00a0As the school year moves into\u00a0darker\u00a0months and students approach long breaks, many notice shifts in their mood, energy, and academic motivation. While these changes are often dismissed as normal stress, research shows that seasonal patterns can play a significant role in students\u2019 mental health and performance in school.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to\u00a0Nemours\u00a0KidsHealth, \u201cWith SAD, a person becomes depressed in fall or winter, when days are shorter and it gets dark earlier. SAD is brought on by the brain\u2019s response to the seasonal changes in daylight.\u201d\u00a0Individuals who deal with it\u00a0go through\u00a0changes in\u00a0eating habits,\u00a0having little energy,\u00a0experience\u00a0negative thoughts, and\u00a0have\u00a0a hard time\u00a0focusing\u00a0on\u00a0school.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the winter,\u00a0students may feel the pressure of their academics and responsibilities\u00a0more and\u00a0may lose motivation.\u00a0Junior,\u00a0Rilyn Rogers\u00a0at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), said, \u201cIn the winter\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0in more of a\u00a0depressive mood because the weather\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0as nice and going outside\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0as enjoyable.\u00a0These changes can make my life harder because during the winter\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not as motivated and I have less energy than when\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0summer.\u201d\u00a0She explained that she lacks the willpower to finish all her\u00a0schoolwork and\u00a0has less interactions with her friends because\u00a0the weather outside is\u00a0gloomier.\u00a0Similarly,\u00a0junior,\u00a0Lexi Fitzgerald\u00a0explained that when it is cold outside,\u00a0she becomes less able to focus on academics because\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0so focused on\u00a0the weather.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many students can agree that\u00a0the summertime\u00a0is\u00a0when they\u00a0enjoy their lives\u00a0more.\u00a0Sophomore,\u00a0Hannah Hosseini\u00a0said, \u201cIn the summer I feel more energetic and awake, while in the winter,\u00a0I\u2019m more tired and drained.\u201d She explained that during the winter\u00a0she\u00a0has\u00a0the most tests, so\u00a0she\u00a0takes\u00a0more naps,\u00a0which takes up\u00a0her\u00a0time for studying.\u00a0Rogers said, \u201cHaving no school and being able to go outside whenever I want during the summer makes me happy.\u201d\u00a0After the school year finishes,\u00a0students\u00a0feel that they can relax\u00a0and recharge.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the summer I feel more energetic and awake, while in the winter,\u00a0I\u2019m more tired and drained.\u201d<\/p>Hannah Hosseini\u00a0(10)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Ms. Parker, a science teacher at PVHS,\u00a0explained that she notices that students become happier when the weather turns warm after the cold months, and\u00a0some even skip school to go to the beach, but when the weather is dreary outside, they\u00a0mellow out.\u00a0She\u00a0stated, \u201cTheir willingness to work decreases after they\u2019ve been working all year, and they\u2019re exhausted.\u201d She explained that it\u00a0shows in\u00a0seniors\u00a0after winter break because some of them\u00a0have\u00a0been accepted into the colleges\u00a0they want to go to.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Senior,\u00a0Maddie Dreckman said she notices her motivation decline during the winter months. \u201cMy energy definitely decreases during the winter, and I start to lose motivation before a break because I\u2019m just waiting for it to come,\u201d\u00a0Maddie\u00a0said. She explained that this lack of motivation often makes it harder to focus\u00a0on\u00a0class, leading to procrastination and reduced effort on assignments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research supports this experience. According to a study published through the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), high school students reported lower productivity and motivation during the winter months compared to spring. Researchers noted that decreased daylight, academic pressure, and fatigue all contribute to reduced focus and engagement during this time of year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to\u00a0the National Institute of\u00a0Mental Health\u00a0(NIMH), \u201cStudies\u00a0indicate\u00a0that people with SAD, especially winter-pattern SAD, have reduced levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Research also suggests that sunlight affects levels of molecules that help\u00a0maintain\u00a0normal serotonin levels. Shorter daylight hours may prevent these molecules from functioning properly, contributing to decreased serotonin\u00a0levels in the winter.\u201d\u00a0When individuals\u00a0experience less time in the sunlight, they\u00a0are\u00a0exposed\u00a0to less vitamin\u00a0D,\u00a0and as a result\u00a0their\u00a0bodies\u00a0experience\u00a0less serotonin\u00a0activity.\u00a0According to NIMH, \u201cPeople with winter-pattern SAD produce too much melatonin, which can increase sleepiness and lead to oversleeping.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dreckman\u00a0said\u00a0the contrast between before and after a break is noticeable. \u201cBefore breaks, I feel exhausted both mentally and academically,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter breaks, I feel refreshed because I really needed that time off.\u201d Similar patterns have been\u00a0observed\u00a0in studies on student burnout, including research from the Journal of Research in Student Retention, which found that many students experience seasonal depressive symptoms that negatively affect academic performance and motivation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teachers also\u00a0observe\u00a0changes in students\u2019 stress levels throughout the year.\u00a0Math\u00a0teacher\u00a0at\u00a0PVHS\u00a0Mr. Jakobson said he notices increased pressure during major academic periods, particularly leading up to exams. \u201cTypically,\u00a0around Christmas, students are more stressed,\u201d\u00a0Mr.\u00a0Jakobson said, adding that the stress often fades once exams are completed. While he said seasonal depression itself is not commonly seen impacting grades at\u00a0PVHS, he acknowledged that academic pressure peaks during certain seasons.\u00a0According to\u00a0AmLotus\u00a0International\u00a0Education, \u201cWhile\u202fwinter challenges students with shorter days and lower energy levels, spring brings renewed focus and enthusiasm. By incorporating\u202fseasonal study strategies, students can\u00a0optimize\u00a0their performance throughout the year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dreckman\u00a0said\u00a0seasonal burnout is not discussed openly enough among students, despite how common it is. She also believes schools could better support students during high-stress periods. \u201cI wish schools understood how much stress and burnout affect our mental health,\u201d she said, suggesting that lighter workloads during particularly demanding seasons could help.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are ways to treat SAD and make the darker months less daunting.\u00a0Research from the American CPR Association\u00a0suggests that getting more time outside\u00a0can help\u00a0balance one\u2019s serotonin and\u00a0melatonin levels. Physical activity can\u00a0help by\u00a0giving off endorphins. This is a natural way to relieve stress and brighten one\u2019s mood.\u00a0Also,\u00a0light therapy can help by\u00a0uplifting one\u2019s mood and energy, especially when used\u00a0early in the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n By combining student experiences with research and teacher observations, it\u00a0becomes clear that seasonal stress can have a meaningful impact on students\u2019 mental health and academic performance throughout the school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graphic by Philip Berkwit<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Lucia Gabriel and Kayla Edwards As the\u00a0cold winter\u00a0season approaches, many\u00a0individuals\u00a0often experience symptoms linked to Seasonal Depression and Seasonal Affective\u00a0Disorder\u00a0(SAD).\u00a0As the school year moves into\u00a0darker\u00a0months and students approach long breaks, many notice shifts in their mood, energy, and academic motivation….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[845,844,846],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/seasonal-Depression-Graphic.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8321"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8323,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8321\/revisions\/8323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n