I know that it’s the last Monday of February and we should all feel Spring coming, but right now it’s snowing.  But I have very high hopes that Spring will eventually come, and when it does, spring asthenia will strike.

You’ve probably heard of it as spring fatigue as well. And to be honest, when I was a child, I thought it has to do with old people only – something similar to rheumatism. I was a moron, I know.

I find it fascinating how we are so deeply connected with the nature.

Do you know why we feel so peaceful when it rains?

It’s because, long long time ago, when it rained it meant crops will grow. Which meant you’ll have food for your family. Meanwhile, we dropped the reason but we kept the feeling. Amazing, right?

 Related: 5 Facts About Rain You Probably Didn’t Know and Their Explanation

What is Spring Asthenia?

Spring asthenia or fatigue is best described as a mood swing – to the negative side – associated usually with the Spring’s arrival.

You may think that all the good things that come with Spring should bring tons of energy and good spirits. It’s not true for everyone. A lot of people actually.

Related: Reasons to be Excited About Spring

According to Medicinnetet.com asthenia means “no strength” in Greek.

Why does it happen?

That is a really good question.

The medical world acknowledges the existence of spring asthenia. Its symptoms are researched, but asthenia is considered by many to fall under the category of mental health.

But anyway, why does it happen?

Apparently, our bodies are unable to adapt that quickly to the climate and environmental change. I couldn’t find any rational explanation around the Intenet, but this lack of adaptability creates a hormonal imbalance.

Yes, women are more prone to spring asthenia. We are hormonal creatures, what can I say?

I also came across the idea that asthenia has to do with too much sunlight. Through our eyes receptors, our brain adjusts the level of melatonin (sleep hormone) and our body does not like this hormonal change.

Symptoms

We all felt the symptoms but we thought we were just having a bad day.

Some of the most common symptoms of Spring asthenia are:

• lack of energy
• overall sadness for no particular reason
• sudden loss of interest in daily activities
• bad sleep
• difficulties focusing
• exhaustion
• muscle ache
• low appetite
• anxiety
• irritability

 Related: How to Get Over Stressful Periods of Time

It sounds quite bad, I know. But it isn’t. Usually, asthenia gets confused with depression since the symptoms are quite similar. The thing about asthenia is timing. Also, it usually goes away by itself in a few days or a couple of weeks. These things don’t happen with depression.

Can it get worst?

Uhm, yes. Some severe cases of asthenia can include mild depression or hair loss, but they are quite uncommon.

Are there any remedies?

Since asthenia is not considered “officially” a mental health disease, there is no medical treatment for it. Beside anti-allergy pills, I would say.

It is true that some doctors go an extra mile and label asthenia as early stages or depression.

Diet

Most people recommend taking better care of our diet if you feel like asthenia kicked in.

• switch to tea: drink more tea instead of coffee or sugary drinks. Try green tea, ginger or ginseng teas to reduce stress and boost energy.
• eat more fish, nuts and raw vegetables and fruits to get more vitamin C and E, magnesium and iron. Lots of fruit and veggies are in season during Spring.
• quite unorthodox but some people recommend to eat chocolate. Not a ton, but enough to bring does that serotonin in.

Habits

This has no science in it, but it’s logical. Do more of that makes you happy to keep the good spirits up.

So practice a hobby or a habit that you really enjoy (like jogging, knitting, reading, etc.)

What if it does not go away?

It is quite unlikely. Usually, asthenia goes away in a few days, if not, in a few weeks.

Give your body all the time it needs to adapt to the new season. Try to find the best out of it and enjoy it.

If it doesn’t seem to go away and you start to worry, the best thing to do is to go to a therapist and have a quick chat. Tell him how you feel and that you worry it might be something more. He will tell you what you should do next.

How did you feel when you faced spring asthenia? What was the best remedy that worked for you?