Beat SAD by moving south

Abominable winters used to take their toll on me while living in Montana and South Dakota: long, frigid, endless despair and Exit 14 looking like a monument to the clear-span building that has been air-dropped into Antarctica. 

Studies published in the Journal of Rural Health and elsewhere found the suicide rate for farmers is not only the highest of any occupation in America, it’s spiking because of a lack of ready access to mental health care services. In 2018 the Rapid City Journal blamed the South Dakota Republican Party for spikes in suicides and depression. So did a Sanford executive. 

But living where winter is less than a month long, days always get above freezing, the legislature is comprised of caring Democrats and cannabis is selling for $4.20 a gram my seasonal affective disorder or SAD has vanished and replaced with effervescent hopefulness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, less sunlight can really mess with our minds and bodies. Fewer rays in fall and winter muddles our body’s internal clock, which can lead to SAD. It also causes a drop in serotonin, which can trigger depression. Less serotonin disrupts the balance of melatonin, which can affect sleep patterns and mood. Lastly, less sunshine means our bodies produce less vitamin D, a source that boosts serotonin in our bodies. [Dakota Farmer]

According to United Van Lines New Mexico is a net inbound state citing retirement and jobs as reasons for moving here.

Las Cruces will be near 60 all week and Tucson will be in the 70s!