How are you feeling these days? Gloomy and doomy?
Me too.
No surprise, as this happens this time of year. Every year. Without fail. No matter how jolly and connected and fulfilled I tell myself I am, the SADness returns.
I’m guessing I’m not alone.
What follows are some of my more successful interventions from Januarys past, plus a few new experiments you might want to try.
ONE: THINK about getting out of bed.
You had a thought. And it wasn’t a crazy thought. Hooray.
TWO: NOW GET UP out of bed. Get dressed. Put on real clothes.
Next level: Dress up in something fancy or formal or inappropriate. Advanced: Dress up so that no one will recognize you. (This will help with experiments that follow).
THREE: GO OUTSIDE and look at the sky. Look at the horizon if you can. Allow your eyes to focus as far off into the distance as possible. Look at the big picture, take in the long view. Look at the moon. The stars. The planets. If you’re lucky enough to be somewhere that isn’t all grey and gloomy, maybe you can say hello to the sun for the rest of us.
FOUR: WALK.
FIVE: Stop walking and START SKIPPING. I dare you. Nothing changes mood so completely as a session of robust skipping. Skip but try not to slip. Can’t skip? Galumph. Revel in your awkwardness, you weirdo. What’s the worst thing that can happen? People will think you’re strange? Too bad. Screw ‘em.
SIX: Go back home, make yourself that third pot of coffee, and DRAW 100 badly drawn monsters (or robots or superheroes or vampires or clowns) .
SEVEN: Act like a grown up and TAKE DOWN THE G*# D#&*% CHRISTMAS TREE.
EIGHT: Never mind. Put the tree back up. Oh. You never took it down? BE THE REBEL YOU WERE BORN TO BE. Leave it there. Let it be a reminder of your personal free will in all its artificial glittery glory for all to see.
NINE: STOP COMPLAINING about the lack of light and embrace the darkness instead. READ THIS lovely piece from a few years back by Jeanette Winterson (her real name.)
TEN: CELEBRATE THAT BAD ART you made. (Remember those monsters you drew?) Aren’t they silly? Maybe one of them looks a little like you. Maybe they all do. Maybe your monsters are trying to tell you something. Show them some love. If you don’t, who will?
(I know, I said ten but who’s counting?)
ELEVEN: QUIT trying to be happy, already. Pretend to BE A STOIC instead. Take comfort in the fact that very little in this out-of-control world is under your control. Then stop chasing after comfort and remember that no matter how bad things seem, things can always get worse. Take an ice bath. Remember someday you will die. Have a little chat with your inner future (dead) self. What advice would they give?
TWELVE: Remember, YOU ARE NOT YOUR FEELINGS. You knew this already, but have you given your feelings a name yet? A name they deserve? I’ve named my seasonal affective disordered feelings “Crazy Pants.”
Crazy Pants isn’t really crazy, but they sure act like it sometimes.
When my Crazy Pants feelings set up camp in my heart for the season, I can say Hi Crazy Pants! What’s up? What do you need? Some cuddling? Time alone? Time under the covers watching other people exercise? If you listen, Crazy Pants might tell you what they need and then go away.
(And when we listen for real, and not try to rush them off so fast, we might learn something.)
THIRTEEN: Remember: YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE who may be feeling a bit Crazy Pants. Other people may have it worse than you. Check in on someone you haven’t heard from for a while. Show you care.
If you’re sincerely concerned for a friend’s safety, NPR’s Life Kit has some great suggestions here.
How are YOU dealing with the winter blues? Let me know!