Can’t Concentrate? Spring Fever Isn’t Just a Catchphrase

Can’t Concentrate? Spring Fever Isn’t Just a Catchphrase

 It’s April, and all the telltale signs are present: You can’t concentrate to save your life, you’ve got a rapidly blossoming crush on a coworker you didn’t look twice at all winter, and instead of hibernating¹ like you have been for the past five months, you’re dying to get outside and soak up the sun and fresh air. When you do leave your office for lunch, you fantasize about taking the rest of the day off and wonder, Would anyone notice if I just didn’t go back there? Come to think of it, you feel this way every year around the same time. What’s the deal? You’ve got a classic case of spring fever, and you’re not the only one—millions of other people in the upper half of the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing the same symptoms you are.

The Body Electric

Spring fever isn’t just a state of mind; it’s a bona fide hormonal² response to the stronger sunlight and longer days that the season brings about. As these factors become more pronounced, many scientists believe, our eyes let our brains know that spring has sprung. In turn, the pineal gland³, located in the cerebrum (the expanded anterior⁴ portion of the brain where conscious mental processes occur), decreases its secretion⁵ of the hormone⁶ melatonin, which it’s been releasing in significantly greater quantities all winter. Because melatonin makes us sleepy and dampens our mood, we notice marked changes when our brains stop producing it so rapidly: good spirits, less desire to sleep, and reduced appetite—just in time to take advantage of those extra hours of daylight. As the Times (UK) summarized in April 2006, “Released from the chemical messages that make us withdraw in winter, the body feels energised, ready to hunt for food and to give birth.”

The combination of our waning⁷ appetite and our waxing wakefulness often leads to springtime weight loss, albeit⁸ relatively⁹ minor¹⁰. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts who monitored the eating and exercise habits of six hundred people over a one-year period determined¹¹ that the majority of the participants gained two pounds in the winter, both because they ate more carbohydrates¹² and because they worked out less during that time. But as soon as spring began, the researchers found, the subjects’ caloric intake¹³ declined and their activity levels spiked¹⁴. Maybe that explains why so many women love showing some skin come May or June: they’re not just enjoying the warmer temperatures, they’re also revealing slimmer figures.

Although some surveys indicate that a full 50 percent of residents of the northern latitudes¹⁵ of the United States experience palpable mood shifts related to the seasons, spring fever manifests itself most strongly in victims of seasonal¹⁶ affective disorder¹⁷ (SAD), most of whom are women. During the fall and winter months, SAD can be psychologically crippling for these individuals, so when their body chemistry alters with the arrival of spring, they “act as giddy as a puppet on a string,” clinical psychiatrist¹⁸ Normal Rosenthal told the New York Times in 1989.

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The Birds and the Bees

Our culinary appetite isn’t the only inclination¹⁹ spring fever reputedly affects—does Alfred Lord Tennyson’s line “In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love” ring a bell? It’s a nice thought, but the truth is that any heightened romantic stirrings men experience as the weather starts warming up don’t translate into increased sexual activity on their part. On the contrary, statistics show that men actually have less sex in the springtime than they do in late summer and early fall, when their testosterone levels peak. What is higher during the spring is the incidence of unplanned pregnancies—likely a result of the fact that because men are less sexually active and therefore driving up their sperm²⁰ count, they’re more fertile at that time of year.

April Is the Cruellest Month

For most of us, springtime is a season of hope and renewal²¹, and the “fever” that accompanies it has positive connotations—distractedness seems like a small price to pay for being able to thrive on less sleep, lose a little weight, and spend more time outside. But for an unfortunate minority, this condition is anything but happy. Numerous studies have shown that the rates of both psychological deterioration²² and suicide from year to year are highest in the spring; psychologists theorize that depressed²³ individuals hold out hope that the transition out of winter will ease their mental strain, and when it doesn’t, their disappointment is so acute that they break down.

Even people who aren’t clinically depressed or suicidal aren’t immune to the dark underbelly of spring fever: for some headache sufferers, April showers bring not May flowers but a higher risk of migraines, and for people who are especially susceptible²⁴ to seasonal shifts (particularly SAD patients), springtime encourages the onset²⁵ of hypomania, a sudden and uncomfortable brain-chemistry shift marked by frenetic activity, an unrealistic sense of grandiosity²⁶, and lack of sleep.

Put a Little Spring in Your Step

To reap the benefits of this often magical time of year without falling prey²⁷ to its harmful consequences, listen to your body. Give it the vitamin D it’s craving—just thirty minutes of sun exposure per day between April and October, preferably at midday or in the early afternoon, is sufficient to sustain adequate levels—and treat yourself to outdoor exercise whenever you can. And if you suspect that you’re experiencing any negative seasonal side effects, consult a physician or mental-health professional who can help you treat the underlying²⁸ cause before it worsens. Most of all, put your wool sweaters and heavy coats in storage, give your house a thorough spring cleaning, resume your trips to the farmers’ market, and help me celebrate the end of the winter blues²⁹. I’ll see you in the park.

1 hibernating   

（某些动物）冬眠，蛰伏( hibernate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The hibernating animals reduce movement to far below the ordinary level. 冬眠的动物把活动量大大减少到低于一般的水平。
• People find hibernating animals asleep. 人们发现冬眠动物处于休眠状态。

2 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

3 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

4 anterior   

adj.较早的；在前的

参考例句：

• We've already finished the work anterior to the schedule.我们已经提前完成了工作。
• The anterior part of a fish contains the head and gills.鱼的前部包括头和鳃。

5 secretion   

n.分泌

参考例句：

• Is there much secretion from your eyes?你眼里的分泌物多吗？
• In addition,excessive secretion of oil,water scarcity are also major factors.除此之外，油脂分泌过盛、缺水也都是主要因素。

6 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

7 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

12 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

13 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

14 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

15 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

16 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

17 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

18 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

19 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

20 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

21 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

22 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

23 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

24 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

25 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

26 grandiosity   

n. 宏伟, 堂皇, 铺张

参考例句：

• Integral designed with novelty, delicate style and comprehensive function, the hotel and considerably grandiosity. 酒店整体设计新颖，风格别致，功能齐全，无论是主题建筑，还是装饰装修，都构思巧妙，气势宏大。

27 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

28 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

29 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。