As our clocks spring forward and our jackets collect in our closets, students grab their hammocks or picnic blankets and head outside. College Green is filled with students laughing with friends, the bike path is populated with dog walkers and running partners, and Strouds Park witnesses sunburns and loud music.
Athens experiences an average of 6.8 months of cloudy overcasts from November to June, giving students only three months of consistent sun during the fall and spring semesters.
However, March likes to sneak in a few days of warmer previews to summer, encouraging students to take advantage of the pretend summer days.
“The weather makes me feel good about myself,” Alexis Keesee, a junior majoring in English language arts, said. “With the sun setting later, I feel like I have more time to do the things that I need to do during the day.”
Seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a kind of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Those surprise days of sunlight and extra Vitamin D can increase serotonin levels, leading to an overall happier attitude.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 20% of people in the U.S. can feel some level of effects from seasonal depression in the winter.
In November, clocks are moved back an hour to have more sunlight in the mornings, also known as ‘fall back.’ When days become shorter and temperatures become colder, it is normal for people not to receive as much sunlight throughout the day – causing an imbalance of brain chemicals.
Sunlight helps regulate serotonin, and when a lack of sunlight is absorbed in the winter, serotonin levels can fall, leading to depression. Now that we have ‘sprung forward,’ serotonin levels have increased, and spending time outside has become a popular activity.
“During the winter time, I mainly try to push off my schoolwork and wait till the last minute,” Keesee said. “But now, since it's warm out, I do everything as soon as possible so I can go out and do the things that I want to do.”
As students defrost from the winter, routines change with the seasons. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, more physical activity takes place in the summer, and more sedentary behavior is done in the winter. The longer days increase energy levels, which encourages more physical activity.
“I just love walking to class when it's warm out, and wearing shorts and a hoodie is so nice. Walking to class and putting up a hammock on College Green or wherever is so fun,” Keesee said.
Many students find themselves eager to be active when temperatures increase, whether it's going on a hike at The Ridges, reading a book on a bench in College Green, or joining an active club team like pickleball.
Pickleball has rapidly grown in popularity over the years – America’s fastest-growing sport – making students more inclined to join the pickleball club.
“In the winter months, we are indoors for the pickleball courts, so we have less people showing up, and it's just not as fun,” Sadie Langer, president of the pickleball club and a senior majoring in environmental biology. “For outdoor, it's just nice to be outside, and we also have more room out there, so there are definitely more people showing up in the spring.”
Pickleball club practices have officially moved outside for the rest of the semester, according to Langer. She also mentioned increasing positive energy when students don’t have to bundle up and down for each indoor practice in the winter.
“There are definitely people from the fall that don't come for the indoor season and then come play again when it’s outside,” Langer said.
The shift from winter’s sedentary behavior to summer's active attitudes reflects the natural impact of seasonality on student life. Spring has sprung, and Ohio University’s student body will take every opportunity to be outside.
