Falling Leaves Falling Moods

Article
Can you explain “diurnal variation,” as opposed to “seasonal patterns”?

Many people experience daily patterns wherein one wakes up in a lousy mood with limited energy and ability to engage with the world. As the morning passes, mood may gradually begin to pick up, and often things feel better by lunchtime or so. This is what clinicians refer to as diurnal variation. While it is frequently incapacitating, it can be useful in monitoring changes in mood. Individuals who are beginning to enter a depressed phase often note that mornings are getting increasingly worse; during the improvement phase, one notices that the time to feeling better shortens.