Why is this time of year SO DANG HARD?

 If you’re like me, sometimes you find yourself wishing away the winter.  I’m ready for spring.  I’m over the cold, the dark, the looming illnesses.  I’m ready to live in my bathing suit, eat watermelon, and have light until 9:30 pm.  I’m ready to sweat without effort.  I’m ready for sunscreen and salty skin and sand everywhere.  

This time of year can be particularly challenging for lots of people.  We even have a name for it, Seasonal Depression. Some days,  I have to work a bit harder to feel the exuberant joy that happens naturally when I wake up on a late spring morning to find birds chirping and something blooming in my garden.

So, what is there to do?  Do we just buy our time until the weather is better?  

Rich Roll often says, “Mood follows action.”  He’s an ultra marathon runner and podcast host.  I agree.  Whenever I’m feeling that sludgy feeling, I remind myself.  I need to DO something different.  

Before I go any further, I want to say this.  It’s totally normal to have dips in your mood.  It’s not a problem, really.  Sometimes, a dip will completely resolve itself with a good night’s sleep.  It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.  I am very aware of my emotional state just because I practice that awareness and talk about it so much.  Sometimes a big dip sneaks up on me but mostly, it’s subtle shifts and I try to get back to my baseline level of contentment as quickly as possible.  

For me, one of the signs is that suddenly, EVERYTHING feels harder.  All of my normal tasks are less attractive.  I don’t see solutions, only problems.  I’m naturally optimistic, so this shift in outlook is the most obvious sign that I need to do something different. 

You may already have a list of things that you can DO to boost your good feelings.  If you don’t already have a list of things that boost your mood, I offer this suggestion.  When you are feeling uplifted and joyful THAT is the perfect time to make your list.  Ask yourself, what gives me a boost in mood?  What makes me feel joyful?  Write them down because when your mood dips, it’s SO MUCH HARDER to think of these ideas.  

Here’s my list, if you need help getting started.  

#1: Workout/Sweat: I know when I’m feeling low, I don’t have the energy or enthusiasm to create my own workout routine.  I just put one on the TV and follow along.  Usually, I hate it at the beginning but by the end, I’m glad I did it.  

#2: Say it Outloud: Just talking about how I’m feeling takes a lot of the power away from the emotion.  If you’ve ever watched Harry Potter, it’s like Voldemort.  We give our emotions so much more power, mystery, and fuel by allowing them to “be that which we don’t name”.  

#3: Music: Playing uplifting or fun songs, singing, dancing, any of the above is a quick mood lifter.  

#4: Check ONE thing off the list: What’s something you’ve been putting off?  Just do that ONE thing.  You don’t have to commit to an entire list.  Just pick one thing that if you completed it, you’d feel accomplished.  

#5: Do a good deed.  There is so much power in doing something good for someone else.  It does not have to be grand acts or gestures.  It can be so simple, like sending a nice text message to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.  Sharing some of the soup you made with a neighbor.  Anticipating the needs of your husband/wife at home and doing something for them.

#6: Listen to a guided meditation: Truly, it’s helpful to have someone else to pull me out of a slump with a guided meditation.  If you want to try one, you can listen to one I created for you.  Click here to check out the guided gratitude meditation I made for you!