The seasons change a person. Some days you may not notice it, but one day your favorite book starts to feel like an impossible burden. It's about biochemistry.
The main reason for the spring uplift is serotonin. Its synthesis depends directly on sunlight. Photons hit the retina, the signal goes to the hypothalamus. As a consequence, the production of neurotransmitter increases. In winter, the daylight hours are much shorter, because of which there is less serotonin. Because of this, you may feel lethargic and apathetic.
It's different in the spring. In March, the daylight hours exceed 12 hours. According to work According to Ryan M. Grippo and Ali D. Guler, when the internal clock does not match the external environment, the risk of mood and health problems increases. This also applies to the speed of information processing, which is especially important for language learning.
In parallel, the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, decreases. In spring, melatonin goes into the night, and the daytime hours become really working hours.
How the regime changes in the spring
Circadian rhythms - the body's internal clock - synchronize with external light. When the daylight hours are long enough, your biological clock is more accurate. You wake up awake and your cognitive activity peaks in the morning.
In winter, this mechanism is disrupted. We wake up in the dark, go to work and come back from work when it is still dark. The brain does not understand when to be active and when to rest.
In March and April, the daily regimen builds up almost by itself. That is why new habits laid down in spring take root better.
A study by Kathleen Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania described the «fresh start» phenomenon. A person is more willing to take on new tasks after symbolic time points - the beginning of the year, birthday and so on. Spring can be considered such a starting point.
During periods of increased serotonin, anxiety decreases. A person more easily decides to start something that previously seemed too difficult. For example, enrolling in a Russian language course.
It's better to start learning Russian in the spring
Russian is one of the most systematic languages. There are cases, verb types, fluent vowels and accent, which does not obey the rules.
When serotonin is normal, working memory works more efficiently. New rules are learned faster. The phonetics of the Russian language also requires fine auditory tuning. In spring, it is memorized noticeably easier.
There's a practical side to it, too. In the spring, most people have fewer seasonal illnesses and more physical energy. Even 40 minutes of exercise just fits into the rhythm of life.
Take advantage of the spring window!
Exercise in the morning. Serotonin and cognitive activity peak around 9-12 hours of the day. Even 30 minutes in the morning will give you more than an hour and a half in the evening. If you've worked or studied in the evenings, you've probably noticed this.
Come out into the light before class. A few minutes outside or at an open window will increase serotonin levels. Therefore, it is better to keep the windows closed.
Don't expect perfect conditions. The spring window lasts until about the end of May. Summer brings the heat and the vacation mood arrives. Take time to lay the groundwork.
Use interval repetition. In the spring, the brain is better at encoding new information into long-term memory. Word cards, phrases on an app like Duolingo - use it all.
Spring is more than just a mood. If you've long wanted your child to start Russian, leave a request for a trial lesson below.
Start exercising in March - it's the best time to make rapid progress.
