I have had numerous conversations lately with people who hate winter. They say that January and February are just depressing. It is even evident in my own children when I have to wake them up in the morning. They are much more moody and not as willing to jump out of the bed to get dressed. When you Google this phenomena, you run across thousands of articles about SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder. WebMD states, "Serotonin production increases with light, meaning that gray gloom creeping in the window is not kicking the production of feel-good chemicals into action."
Did you know that exercise increases serontonin? Take a trip down any of our hallways and you will see that our teachers have already learned this trick. Last week, I heard music coming out of Mrs. Ragland's room. When I went to check it out, the students were taking a brain-break and were all on the rug dancing! They were having so much fun. As a result, students were not only in a better mood, but they were also more focused on their learning that afternoon. So, the next time your kids seem down, turn on a Just Dance Kids video and have a short dance party!
