Grey Makes Me Blue
I love the colours of fall. Unfortunately, they don't last very long. The trees are mostly bare now, and the days seems far, far too short. Even when the sun is up, everything looks grey much of the time.
I have found over the past few years that I am having a harder time with the winter months. Spring, summer, and fall seem to fly by so quickly and then we are left with the drab, dreary, cold months that start at the end of October and extend into late March, early April.
I am feeling rather lethargic at the moment. I haven't been on WA much over the past couple of days, and haven't written much. I'm forcing myself to get moving today, but I really don't feel much enthusiasm right now. I'm pretty sure that once I get rolling, it'll be ok, but I really am not looking forward to winter....
Does anyone else have trouble with this time of year? What do you do to keep your spirits high?
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I suffered from may be known as SAD for a time after my son was born and working 2 jobs. I also had 2 daughters at home and I could not motivate myself to get up on the weekend mornings. It was awful!
I did tons of research to find ways to help myself feel better without going to the doctor for a prescription. You would be surprised by what I discovered! Not to dismiss anyone who needs pharmaceutical help, but your brain needs more oxygen, your body needs more hydration, and treat yourself to an orange or two!
I am not saying this is an instant cure, but it sets you in motion for change. Some breathing exercises, plenty of water and some citrus. I promise it helps! I wrote about my experience here...
http://lovedarla.com/survival-guide-how-to-stop-stressing/
Thanks for the link. I'm glad that I don't have it that bad.
I can see how our more sedentary lifestyles can contribute to that, regardless of the time of year.
Himalayan Rock Salt lamps are good, vitamin D is the sun vitamin and you are going to be low in that now, good lighting inside, and to keep my spirits up I have fish. Half a dozen goldfish who live inside with me in the winter and outside in rain barrels in the summer.
It's SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. My husband bought me a lamp that's supposed to help. I hate the lamp, it gives me a headache. You're right. You have to push through it. It's not easy. Find something fun and get some exercise. I use a strength band. I also try to get out once in awhile. Good luck and tell me how you are doing.
I HATE WINTER
When my first son was born, I used to be excited to go out with him and play in the snow, build snowmen, etc. My poor second son is getting the short end of the stick because now I'm like "yeah, go play with your brother". Lol.
I know, that sucks. I force myself to go out with him, but the thrill, as they say, is gone.
It is a well-known fact as studied by people in the medical/psychological professions that the winter months especially cause a lot of people to become depressed here in the Northern hemisphere. I can only imagine that in the Southern Hemipshere the opposite takes place in May - July when it is their winter season.
The fact that the sun rises so late and sets so early chemically does something to the very essence of many human beings' minds.
Especially if you live in the northern tier of the U.S., and Canada, or really across the pond in Northern Europe where it is even worse, the fact that the sun goes down in some cases right after 4 pm followed by some 15 hours of darkness until the following morning causes so many people to feel blue.
I know living up in Connecticut for most of my life when from early Dec. to mid-January the sun is down before 4:30 and also adding in the fact that some winters it was colder than anything outside - I often became quite moody, lethargic and on some days wanted to remain in bed.
As circumstances had me eventually move to NC 10 years ago, I soon heard the fact that the sun never sets at any point of the year before 5 pm. Of course, on the other side and near the Winter Solstice it can rise as late as almost 7:45 am.
In mid/late January when I notice the sun setting later with each passing day, (plus rising early with each passing morning) I realize that spring and then summer is soon coming.
Still, it's better than living in Alaska or way up in the northern parts of the European Scandinavian countries, (Finland, Sweden, Norway). In Dec./January from what I've learned educationally, (plus taking a touring vacation to Scandinavia in 1984) the sun sets at around 2 - 2:30 in the afternoon. Yuck!
Yes, many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. My father used to have some difficulty during this time of year as well.
I don't recall it affecting me too much when I was younger, but it is definitely becoming an issue for me now.
I use a lot of color indoors to keep my eye from looking out the window. I also look forward to the snow that should eventually come where I am. I also make sure to use adequate lighting for whatever I am doing. The winter months are hard for many people, the colors during winter do not help, but this can be overcome with some creative thinking.
Winter seems to suck the colour out of everything, ha ha.
I think that I will have to invest int brighter lights. Ours are fairly dim, which doesn't help.
Brighter lighting has helped me. (Though there are times when I retreat to the dim lights in my bedroom because of a migraine.)
Growing up in Buffalo, I certainly can relate. I now live in the beautiful southwest where the sun us always shining. On the rare cloudy day, still feel my mood drop a few notches. Craig, it's OK to give yourself a little break. Enjoy the day and do something different to get the creative juices flowing again.
Debbie
I can relate. Although I like winter, I do get tired of it around February.
It wasn't weather related but the last few weeks I felt the same as you. Very little motivation to work on my site and just wanted to sit around and do nothing.
What I did was to embrace it. I told myself that I had been working hard and deserved a break. Basically, took a mini vacation from working on my website for about a week. After that my batteries have been recharged and I am good to go again.
I think part the problem is we are all so focused on writing and building our sites we forget to breathe. As for the weather don't look at as gray and gloomy or the end of the seasons.
Look at it as the new beginning. The planet is saving up its energy so that it can explode with life and color in the spring.
Just like we need to sit back and take a break so does Mother Nature.
Hello Craig
i totally get you, I know what you mean grey makes me bleu as well and many others sad to say but the most suicides happen in the fall in the month novermber here in stella country belgium.
But autumn is especially needed to get back to spring, let's try to approach it as positively as possible.
Hope
I think it helps when I don't have to go out in the lousy weather. For the past two years, I have been luck that I was at home all winter. The first time was due to an injury that kept me from work, and last year I was unemployed. So far this year, it looks like I will spend at least part of the winter at home again.
I personally am someone who MUST have sunlight to function! This time of year is horrible for me. It's dark at 5 PM and I can't get anything done! I agree wholeheartedly with you that winter seems to drag on forever while spring, summer and fall just fly by. I hope you (and I) get over the lethargy soon!
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Sounds like seasonal depression. I have it but it started years ago after meningitis hit me. Winter is worse so I tend to hibernate in the house. My doc at the VA told me there's no use in feeling like you have to be everywhere or do everything all the time. So, maybe look at it as a time to take for yourself. All there really is out there is work and people spending money. Unless you like to fish like me. That's how I look at it. Lol
I find that it's a bit of a cycle: I don't feel like doing much, so I get lazy. As a result, work starts to build up. Then I feel bad about the work that needs to be done, but don't know where to start, so I do nothing, and the work builds up even more.
Craig, make a list, shut your eyes and point at the list. The item under the finger is the starting point.
lol, that sounds like fun, especially if we throw some fun things and treats in there too :D
Mary, baby steps. It's how I used to figure out how to do things that the experts ignored in their prequel to doing an activity.
I used their tutorial, found out the many places where they were wrong or in the wrong order and then did my own steps. That is how I try to do my tutorials here.
For example, we got a new project management module. Step 1 just wouldn't work. After a week of forward and backward figuring it turned out this was in fact the last step.
I just picked a point (I didn't throw a dart but I felt like it) and went from there.