Nikki Harper – Wherever you are in the world, the seasons are changing around us. Where I am, in the UK, spring is well underway. As I write this, it’s still broad daylight outside, at nearly 8.30pm. Days are increasingly dry and sunny (well, as ‘dry’ and ‘sunny’ as they ever get in Britain, which isn’t saying much). People around me are cheering up as they look forward to the coming months – after all, for most people, the arrival of spring and then summer tends to foster a sense of mental wellbeing – who doesn’t look forward to summer.

Me, for a start. I’ve always had a strong energetic connection to the weather and I like my weather to be actually doing something. Endless days of ‘dry, warm, calm’ bore me, demotivate me and depress me. Turns out I’m not alone. You’re probably familiar with Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, where people experience depression and sleep disruption in the winter months. Guess what? It can happen in reverse too – although much less common, some people suffer from Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder and are psychologically troubled by the summer months. Continue reading →