By Breanna Adams
January is known as the most depressing month of the year due to its approximate nine hours of sunlight per day and cold, bone-chilling weather.
Students at Algonquin have not been enjoying this month despite the short warm streak that the second week of January gave. “I don’t really do much outside in the winter,” said Brad Gibbons, an 18-year-old Business Administration student. Gibbons keeps his spirits up by playing hockey once or twice a week, but said January has not left him feeling overly excited in the least.
Elizabeth Pryer, a Mental Health Nurse at Algonquin, said the winter months are hard on students for many different reasons.
“The cold weather doesn’t encourage people to get out,” said Pryer. “People start to feel more isolated because of that.”
Pryer explained how January can be even worse for college students, with the holidays being over; most have to leave their families and loved ones once again. There are also money problems and a new and usually more difficult semester has just begun. “Those are all things that can contribute to being ‘down in the dumps’ this month,” Pryer said.
There hasn’t been a noticeable increase in the number of students who have been going to the Health Services department in relation to problems addressing depression.
“If you are feeling really down and you are not feeling the way you usually do,” said Pryer. “You really need to reach out to your friends, family or seek help from a professional.”