The winter weather seems to be sticking around and it will most likely be here until finals week, but that does not mean that students need to be a Grumpy Cat about it. All anyone needs is a 30 minute appointment with the Health Center’s Mind Spa in order to start feeling better.
The disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, occurs when people suffer from weather changes. Basically, when the weather is nice, the person feels nice, and when the weather is terrible, like it is now, the person suffering from SAD feels the same and can become depressed.
According to WebMD, some common symptoms of SAD are decreased levels of energy, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, increased desire to be alone, and an increased need for sleep. While the symptoms of SAD sound exactly like any regular college student, this is a disorder to be taken seriously.
Students do not have to be suffering from SAD in order to be affected by the weather. Most students get depressed when the bad weather starts to roll in. The best way to help is for the sun to come out, however, that rarely happens nowadays.
There is one, under-utilized tool on campus aimed to help those who miss the summer, feel better about the cold weather- the Health Center.
One of the features in the Health Center is called the Mind Spa. The Mind Spa is a room that students can rent out and use. While the Mind Spa is mainly used to helpstudents deal with stress, one of the features is a light box that emulates sunlight. This way, students who suffer from SAD, or those who just miss the feel of sunlight on their skin, can help relieve stress and
feel more energized.
Mind Spa appointments are first come-first served and are free for all students.
With all this lovely weather lately, the student population has become gloomier. Students can be
seen wrapped up in scarves, hats, and mittens whilst trekking across campus as quickly as possible. The campus has become silent outside because people do not want to talk for fear of their face freezing. The sound of sniffles and shoes knocking off snow can be heard throughout every building.
Being from Ohio, the feeling of hating the terrible weather is not new. We are used to experiencing all four seasons in one day.
However, this year seems to be more bitter than usual. The weather has turned colder later than it has in the past, resulting in Baldwin Wallace students unable to understand how it changed this fast. Not even a month ago, the weather was nice enough for students to wear shorts outside. Going from shorts to parkas overnight really took its toll on the student body.
Class attendance has gone down because students do not want to leave their rooms. Walking through hallways, very few smiles can be seen.
Overall, students are either getting hot coffee in the Cyber Café or hanging out in their rooms, refusing to go out. Students immediately regret their decision to leave the comfort of their rooms when entering the cold atmosphere. Their cheeks and noses turn as red as cherries.
In the meantime, we will all keep our fingers crossed that winter leaves as quickly as it came.