Summer has come to an end, and many are overcome by bad mood, apathy and loss of strength. What is this condition of “autumn blues” and how to deal with it, Anna Akchurina, psychologist, gestalt therapist, family psychologist told “Main Topic”. – Anna, what is “autumn blues”, and what causes it? – “Autumn blues” is called gloomy, melancholy mood, boredom, state of emotional decline during the autumn season. However, this is a metaphorical description of the condition and not a clinical diagnosis. “Autumn blues” is often mistakenly called “autumn depression,” but depression is a complex clinical disease that is not simply associated with low mood. Autumn blues are a state of mind, and it should be noted that this is a temporary, short-lived state. If your self-perception of “autumn blues” has been observed for a long time, if you feel a strong decrease in performance, fatigue, lethargy, decreased interest in life and in your favorite activities, you become irritable and aggressive, tearful, inhibition and slowness of reaction appear, then you you have a deeper condition and you need to contact a specialist. Often the causes of low mood in the fall are associated with hormonal changes that occur in the body due to a lack of daylight and changing weather conditions. I would also highlight the following reason: autumn is a good background against which the problems and difficulties felt by a person in his soul become clearly visible. Thus, rain is often associated with unshed tears, which refreshes memories of losses and disappointments. Fallen leaves and dark tree trunks remind us that life is cyclical; they raise in our souls experiences of the finitude of existence, death and loss of loved ones, and anxiety for our own lives. This is how a rethinking of life and how much a person feels fulfilled and fulfilled begins. When natural cycles slow down, you feel the transience of your life and anxiety arises: “But I haven’t had time to do much yet.” – Who is more susceptible to it: men or women? – Women are more susceptible to autumn mood changes due to their psychophysiology. Natural cycles are also built into a woman’s nature, in addition to this, representatives of the fair sex are more likely to connect what is happening around them with their internal state. But men are also susceptible to mood changes in the autumn period. – Why exactly do people tend to fall into such a state at this time of year? – As I noted earlier, this is due to hormonal changes in the body, decreased daylight hours and changes in thermal conditions and the fact that in the fall our internal complexes and wounds become more manifested. People who are vulnerable and sensitive by nature are more likely to fall into this state, as well as those who see, first of all, negative sides in all events, people exposed to stress, people with low self-esteem – How to cope with sad thoughts? – There is no need to cope, it is important to understand what kind of sad thoughts you have, what they are and what they are about, how long they have been bothering you, and the like. Often people mistakenly try to avoid their sadness and do not allow it to be experienced. However, this is an important feeling, like all others in principle, signaling something important in your life. In general, it’s normal to be sad; a person cannot be happy all the time. And just during the autumn period, a person can learn from nature to be truly sad, can slow down and finally notice himself and see those who are next to you. – Often during periods of autumn blues, people feel a strong craving for sweets and starchy foods, thereby trying to cheer themselves up. mood. Is this correct? – Yes, many people try to “suppress” their low mood in the autumn with sweets and fatty foods. On the one hand, the body has a need for fatty, spicy, sweet and warm foods. However, sweets only help you feel warmth and joy for a short time, then, on the contrary, the feeling of dissatisfaction and depression intensifies, and then there is nothing left