STORY BY ALEXIS PFANNENSTIEL
For college students like me, during the colder weather, you may be finding it harder to get out of bed, go to class, wake up in the morning, and even leave your room. No, this isn’t just you, and no you aren’t alone.
These feelings are known as SAD, the Seasonal Affect Disorder that causes us to lose interest and motivation for our day-to-day activities. According to USAtoday.com the major symptoms of this disorder include trouble concentrating, irritability, decreased energy levels, and carbohydrate cravings.
In 2011 the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a nationwide survey finding that 30% of college students reported feeling “so depressed it was difficult to function,”
After almost a complete year of quarantine, trying to get back to normal, and being promised the “time of my life” in college I find myself struggling more than ever walking to my 8:00ams in 30-degree weather.
The combination of these struggles, my newfound independence, and my heavy course loads leaves me asking myself when there will be a break?
I am not here to put my seasonal disorder on anyone else, but to ask if professors might consider these factors when assigning our workloads?
I know that they have their own personal lives to consider and curriculums to meet, but I feel that it would absolutely benefit staff and students to consider the physical and mental toll the colder weather takes on college students.
Reducing the workload from both sides opens an opportunity for students to use more time towards their mental health and allows staff members an opportunity to grade thoroughly and reach out to students individually.
I feel that the reduction of schoolwork or having more lenient deadlines would show the students at FHSU that their mental health is a priority, and that they are more than just their grades.
If you are struggling with your mental health or SAD, please feel free to reach out to your peers, professors, and loved ones to ask for help. Here are some resources to help:
FHSU Health and Wellness Services: (785) 628-4401
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255