Gloomy weather, outbreaks of illness and psychological strain aren’t just ingredients for a classic horror movie — they’re all standard characteristics of a University winter term.
Students tend to retreat to their rooms and even hunker down on their studies during gloomy weather. But weather isn’t the only factor. Medical and psychological experts say students find themselves in the winter doldrums for a variety of physical and emotional reasons.
“Everyone’s sort of downbeat,” junior international studies major Barry Barksdale said. “No one’s excited. Everyone’s either doing their own thing or staying in their room.”
Barksdale, a transfer student from Willamette University, said he finds it hard to adjust to a new school when the weather has an obvious influence on the social climate.
Freshman biology major Andy Howard said while he personally enjoys the Oregon rain, he shares Barksdale’s view of the student population’s morale.
“A lot of people are just down on things,” Howard said. “People are just kind of gloomy.”
This gloominess may go beyond disapproval with the weather, said University Health Center Director Gerald Fleischli. He said some people who are depressed by short days and overcast weather suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — a depression associated with the absence of light, typically during the winter months.
“The short days and the cloudy weather can bring people down,” Fleischli said.
Some human bodies need a certain amount of daily sunlight to function normally, according to the United Kingdom’s SAD Association. With the gray skies Oregon shares with Britain, the lack of sunlight can affect people’s bodies, bringing on SAD depression.
The health center offers “light therapy” to those who are diagnosed with SAD, Fleischli said. By being exposed to light in the morning hours, a student has a 50 percent chance of reducing SAD symptoms. He said the health center can also help students buy the special therapy lights or direct them to further treatment.
“Students should get examined if they have any symptoms of depression,” Fleischli said.
Mental and emotional anguish doesn’t originate solely from the weather, said Ron Miyaguchi, Counseling Center senior staff therapist. Some of that distress, he said, is self-supplied.
“Sometimes (depression) is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Miyaguchi said. “If you anticipate being depressed by the weather, it will happen. Sometimes people bring it upon themselves.”
He said students sometimes do this by “cocooning” themselves — staying indoors alone.
Miyaguchi said he mainly deals with the social and academic stresses of students who come into the Counseling Center.
Miyaguchi said relationship stress also contributes to the winter blues.
“People who come to the University for (their) first term form relationships, whether that’s social or romantic,” Miyaguchi said. “These relationships seem to be pretty successful, though they’re still in the honeymoon stage. But in winter term, these relationships start to struggle.”
Students are also stressed by the need to do well academically, Miyaguchi said.
Miyaguchi said it’s common to see students struggle to get back on track grade-wise after a disappointing fall term.
“I wasn’t really satisfied with my first term,” Howard said. “I got kind of distracted scholastically. I’m ready to get back to work and start over.”
For some, the change from holiday to schoolwork is tough in itself.
“I’ve been sleeping until noon, and all sudden I have an 8 a.m. class,” Barksdale said. “I’ve got to just kick myself into gear.”
If depression and academic anxiety aren’t enough for winter term, there’s also the increased chance of becoming ill.
Fleischli said during winter break, students go all over the world picking up “exotic germs.” Then they come back to school, stay indoors and share those germs with their friends. There’s a wide variety to choose from, Fleischli said, with 200 to 300 different germs for upper respiratory infections floating around, not including cold and flu bugs.
“It’s important for people to do the things they learned in kindergarten,” Fleischli said. “Wash your hands. Don’t pick your nose. Don’t chew on pencils.”
Just as it was in kindergarten, school should be fun during winter term, Barksdale said, and students should take classes that interest them.
“Sign up for classes that will make you look forward to getting out of bed,” Barksdale said. “Find something you’re passionate about.”
Although Miyaguchi said relationships are a big stress for students during the winter, Barksdale said he thinks having a significant other can help alleviate winter stress.
Exercise has also been shown to lower stress and depression in individuals, Fleischli said.
Miyaguchi said exercise is important for the connection of mind and body.
“When the weather’s not the greatest, it’s easy to lose track of doing physical activities and exercise,” Miyaguchi said. “A great way to be proactive is to make it a point to exercise.”
The three most important factors to balance this term and all terms, Miyaguchi said, are social life, academics and physical fitness. If a person has those things in balance, then he or she is “in a good place.”
E-mail features reporter Marcus Hathcock at [email protected].