But truth be told, in this time of seasonal transition when the sun goes down earlier, the sky turns grey and windy, and temperatures start to drop, sometimes my mood goes down with it.
It’s a really uncomfortable place to be. All I want to do is mope, lie on the couch in my pajamas and mindlessly devour an entire box of Cheez-Its (my favorite junk-food vice) and wallow in my sadness.
But fortunately, over time I have learned how to move myself out of a melancholic mood more quickly than I used to. I'm sharing a few of my own quick and simple practices, just in case it helps any of you reading this:
1. Find out what is really bothering me. I’ll often make an honest list of those things. I’m a big believer in writing things down. It helps me to see clearly on paper what’s whirling around in my mind and making me feel crappy, stuck, or confused.
2. Take a breath and ask the question: “What would make you feel better right now?” Usually I’ll get simple answers like: Do yoga. Go outside and take a walk to the river. Do the dishes. Clean out your desk drawer. (Sometimes I notice that part of my upset is from guilt, because I’ve procrastinated on tasks that I know need to be done. Taking action helps immensely!)
3. Write a list of things I am grateful for. It always starts with the most obvious things (my husband, our home, my family and friends), but I keep on going, challenging myself to name what might be easy to take for granted: Hot running water. Living close to the subway station. Our good-natured cat who always knows where his litterbox is. Suddenly, the list goes on for miles.
4. Do a random act of kindness for someone else. When I focus on how I can help someone else, it takes me out of my pity party bubble. It also helps me to see how blessed I am because I have the ability to help someone, so obviously my situation mustn’t be as terrible as I thought it was!
5. Ask for support. This has been hard because it comes more naturally for me to help others. But I have needed to learn that receiving is just as important as giving; it keeps me emotionally healthy and balanced. And it snaps me right out of that old belief that I’m all alone, which is sometimes contributing to my sad mood! It can be as simple as asking my husband for an extra-long hug, or call a friend to meet me for a tea and have a chat.
6. Turn the lights on. If I'm at home, I'll turn on more lights. The type of bulb is important too - I try to limit our use of flourescent lights, which feel cold and unnatural (not to mention they're reminiscent of offices and work), and prefer incandescent or halogen instead. And if weather permitting, I go outside to soak up natural daytime light. I'll admit I usually feel too lazy to put on layers of clothing to leave the house, but once I'm outdoors, it's an instant mood lifter.
Your turn:
Do you ever feel melancholic when the seasons change? What do you do to lift your mood?
Do you ever feel melancholic when the seasons change? What do you do to lift your mood?
Your list is excellent and I'll be marking it to refer back to. One more thing I do this time of year is take a Vitamin D supplement. The extra Vit D has noticeably changed my life for the better - I no longer suffer the symptoms of SAD that used to keep me feeling tired and depressed all through the darker months.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Seabluelee! I haven't tried Vitamin D. I'll have to check that out.
Delete