DO YOU HAVE THE WINTER BLUES YET?

With Christmas over and the New Year celebrations a memory, many people and kids are heading back to their normal routines. Just the normal can bring a feeling of boredom after all the December hoopla. Yes Epiphany is January 6th so some Christian Orthodox people will still celebrate. The busyness and purpose to get things done keeps us focused. January and the rest of the winter months bring that let down feeling whether we like it or not. Taking down the Christmas decorations and putting away the lights makes one's home look bleak. If several months in a sunny location is part of your winter plan, good for you. Most people stay and work and carry on! Accepting the low mood as part of the scenario is a good start. Finding activities to help the mood is a good goal. Remember people need light so the sun not being around as much during the day does not help our moods either. Getting outside for some winter activities helps. Or be a mall walker if you are concerned about falling on slippery sidewalks. Or a trip to the gym to work out helps many people too. If finances are an issue, weekly trips to the library where you can sit and read or peruse the books gets one out of the house. Elderly have a difficult time with winter so if there are relatives or friends in your family circle include them and get them to some social events too. Perhaps there is a reason bears hibernate for the winter. Were humans supposed to do the same? If hibernating at home is your thing, include meaningful activities and events. The modern world with facebook, email, twitter, face time and whatever else can be used helps to stay connected and not isolated. However, real face to face time with real people and real conversations are needed too. Touching and a family hug are good! Talking on the phone to a real voice is good for the soul. Winter blues are real. February is the worst month for depression and suicides. So reach out to others to help with the situation. If you are feeling blue then you reach out to others for your own mental health and sanity. By embracing winter and its activities is one good way to change the attitude from it being a down time to a time with fun and friends. Sounds simple but I walk year round so the walk to work and back gets me some fresh air. If my grandchildren visit and want to play outside, well I often join them for some simple outdoor fun. Just making an effort to be outside helps the mental and physical. If there is decent packing snow, then make a snowman or I guess it should be called a snowperson! Of course if enough snowfalls, snow shovelling gets everyone outside! A good hot chocolate and marshmallows with a cookie is good for all adults. As winter progresses the subject will be revisited. How are you coping so far?

OVERCOMING WINTER BLAHS

Winter blahs can lead to winter depression. The cold and slippery conditions can keep people indoors for safety reasons but can also lead to withdrawing from much needed activities and stimulation. Cabin fever can lead to a low mood. The reduction of sunlight is a contributing factor as many people do suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. What to do! Embracing a winter activity or two helps. Going to warm places that are inexpensive like being a mall walker or weekly jaunts to the library. Our library has a coffee shop so it makes the reading enjoyable. Bookstores also have coffee shops for reading pleasure. Belonging to social groups like book clubs, card groups, senior or junior activities and for the parents with younger children-well talking to other parents helps too. It goes without saying if your low mood can not be overcome-then a visit to your family doctor to be assessed for depression and possible further intervention. Although it is only January, mid-winter like the throngs of Feburary has a higher incidence of depressive episodes and even suicides. Some post-Christmas blues and the letdown after the party times is normal for most of us. Finding our new norm without all the hoopla can lead to boredom. Let's face it a lot of our normal activities like laundry, shovelling the driveway, taking kids to lessons, grocery shopping etc. are necessary but not exciting. Even those New Year's resolutions can be boring too. Accepting that a little low mood can inspire us to do something fun or creative or new to add some excitement to our lives. Or just taking those simple moments with family, friends and activities enjoying them to the fullest can be rewarding! How is your mood? Are you feeling a little down these days? Is January a hard month for you? Would planning daily activities and sticking to the plans helps to motivate you? Would reconnecting with past activities give you renewed pleasure? Let me know what works for you! 

COMING DOWN FROM A SUMMER HIGH!

Returning from a friend's cottage, the realization that all the summer plans are finished. Little day trips, overnights, family get togethers and cottage weekends with friends are completed. Lots of photos to organize for scrapbooking has been well underway. But there is a little, oh it's over! It seemed the calendar had been full of events to come. Now the memories! Sometimes in the rushing and driving, not stopping to think it has come to an end. Sort of like Boxing Day! But it is in the summer. There has been lots of enjoyment and fun. I am sure there will be Fall events but nothing to compare with the two months of warm weather and summer events. Do you ever feel a little down after the fun? Some people do not like the heat and are glad the cooler weather is approaching. Digging out the projects on hold during July and August will make busy hands. How do you feel as September approaches? Did you have a good summer? There a few weeks to go as I know. Perhaps an Indian summer will keep our spirits up.!