Melancholy and change
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Melancholy—it comes during times for introspection, thinking about things in life, and making or going through change within and without.
Sure, things like diet and light affect mood. Consider the context. If a person’s diet is terrible, it would probably benefit them to start eating healthier. (That is a change, too, born from the recognition that change needs to be made.)
I’m not against supplements either if a person is really struggling and they need the support. However...
If a person thinks that low mood is always itself the problem, and if they think that supplements are the solution to the problem, then they may never make the change they had an opportunity for—a change that would have been more beneficial in the long-term.
(I will probably make a separate post about happiness later.)
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You might be able to figure out everything you need about moods and emotions by observing yourself and others.
If you want to understand them better, you can think about them in a larger context, possibly including an evolutionary context (asking about what purpose the emotion or mood might have served) or more. The amount of context you need depends on how well you want to understand them. Knowing about neurotransmitters and hormones isn’t necessary for a good understanding.
Neurotransmitters and hormones can add to understanding, but they aren’t necessary. It’s better to start from experience and from a bigger picture, and then the smaller details can be added in if wanted or needed for a specific purpose.
Just focusing on the small details too much and too soon is likely to mislead.
