"The Melancholy of Autumn's Arrival": Psychologist Discusses the Emotional Response
As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to change, many of us may feel a sense of nostalgia as we bid farewell to the long, sunny days of summer. Psychologically, this transition marks a frame and rhythm change that our psyche evaluates with a touch of nostalgia.
In concrete terms, it's essential to make the transition easier. Planning activities that remind us of the summer, engaging in hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule can help us navigate this period.
The reinterpretation of sadness over the remembered summer bliss into sadness over our inescapable experience of transience can be a part of this seasonal change. However, allowing these feelings, framing them positively, and structuring our daily life deliberately can increase our coping competence and reduce secondary stress.
Interestingly, human rhythms continue to react to seasons, even with artificial light and office life. Neurobiologically, less daylight affects the internal clock of the brain's master timekeeper (suprachiasmatic nucleus) and can disrupt mood, drive, and sleep due to shifts in serotonin and dopamine systems.
Dirk Stemper, a psychologist and psychotherapist in Berlin, suggests that allowing, framing, and controlling feelings can help us navigate this transition. Suppressing feelings of grief and nostalgia at the end of August can lead to rebound stress.
In Germany, people often experience a vague feeling of sadness and nostalgia at the end of August. This time evokes memories of past summers and youth, a mix of gratitude for what once was and sorrow that it has passed, frequently triggered by reunions and reflections on changes over time.
It's important to remember that the end of summer signals a rhythm change, not a disturbance, but a transition. Nostalgia at the end of summer is a common response in our latitudes, as evidenced by folk songs and poems that describe the farewell to summer and the longing for winter.
By acknowledging and embracing these feelings, we can better cope with the end of summer and prepare ourselves for the upcoming season.
