I’ve been feeling like I am no longer a person who needs a lot of mental/emotional support during the dark/cold season. I am so improved! I no longer feel DESPERATE for flowers every time I go to the grocery store! I am no longer dragging myself to my desk and forcing myself to turn on my light therapy lamp and heated chair cover!
You know how it’s common for people to get on a psychiatric medication and then feel better in a specific way that makes them decide they do not need the medication and never DID need the medication? Like, they don’t think “Oh, wonderful, the medication is working beautifully, I will keep taking it!,” they instead think, “I am doing fine and I feel normal; it turns out I did not need the medication after all!” That’s what I suspect is going on, but with lighted birch trees and flameless candles and heated office-chair covers and so forth.
I have the birch trees and candles set up all year, even when it’s summer and I don’t need them—so all I need to do when the evening starts happening earlier is put in new batteries, and I have automatic supplemental light. I have white string lights up around the living room all year now, so all I have to do is start plugging them in. I leave the heated chair pad attached to my desk chair. I am in the habit of cruising through the flower department at the grocery store to see what’s good/cheap, so in winter I don’t have to make a special effort to remember to do that. There are tulip/daffodil/peony bulbs planted in the yard, so there is an automatic spring thing to look forward to. I have Hopeful Spring t-shirts (tulip in kelly green, tulips in grass green, daffodils in baby blue, Hello Sunshine in lemon yellow) in my closet, ready to start wearing right about now.
It’s true the candles and trees and string lights get a little dusty being up all year, but for me the key is having things ALREADY SET UP: by the time I need those things, it will be too hard to put them into place. An affectionate dusting can happen while I am already feeling okay, and dusting is easier to do Whenever.
Oh, this is so great, Swistle. I am 100% of the mindset that keeping things we need At The Ready is the key. Like, filling the coffee maker the night before, if that makes sense. Making things easier for when we need them *she says as she drinks her third cup of coffee*
I agree. My dogs’ breakfast alarm goes off at 7:00 and there’s a frantic tumble to get food to both of them and my senior dog’s medications incorporated into her share while keeping her away from the puppy food and my puppy away from the spiked prescription food. It makes such a difference to measure out the food and line up the medications the night before.
I love this Swistle. What a good analogy between these helpful self care acts and medication! I bought a bouquet of tulips yesterday and they DO HELP. Thank goodness my grocery store has flowers right away first thing when you enter the store.
I wish there were a way to make Getting Outside part of my routine. (Probably, get a dog.) It’s SO essential for my mental health, and yet so easy to brush off when I am most in need of getting it!
I have just been informed by a reliable source that you should definitely get a dog.
I partially initially caved about getting a dog because my husband and son weren’t really getting any exercise and everyone agreed they’d take their turns doing walks. Go figure, we got the only dog I’ve ever met who hates walks. Her ears and tail go down and she slinks away if we get the leash out.
Is it possible to have reverse seasonal affective disorder? Because as I’m reading this I’m getting sad thinking about spring coming and then summer. (It’s also been unseasonably sunny and warm where I live.) I really dislike the heat. I really love my cozy winter clothing and blankets and flannel sheets and heating pad and hot baths before bed.
Me too!! But I almost feel like I’m missing out on the camaraderie with all the folks who HATE WINTER Abe HATE COLD.. I kind of love hibernation and getting inside projects done (without feeling pressure of yard stuff)
Yes, this is absolutely a thing. I struggle very very hard every spring and summer from the pollen, the heat, the general physical and mental unwell feeling I feel from being too warm. Would love to hear all tips that don’t include “just stay indoors in air conditioning” (since I’m not an indoorsy person).
I’ve taken this cue from my spouse who is from the tropics and dislikes being very sweaty/hot in the summer (‘though you’d think he’d be used to it): Pick your time of day to do outdoor activities. This felt strange to me the first time we visited his hometown and it was very hot. I was ready to do all the touristy stuff in the middle of the day, but was quickly schooled to wait until later when the temps cooled off. At home this means, getting the yard work done, going for a walk, etc. in the early morning or when the sun is going down. I personally like getting physical activities out of the way in the mornings and then feeling accomplished and content to move to indoor tasks in the afternoons. ALSO: Summer evening are so lovely for being outdoors and relaxing with a beverage on the patio.
I am so with you on this. I love sweater weather (fall to early spring). I live in Colorado and we get cold and some snow, and very hot summers where we are. I suffer through late June to early Sept and love Fall/Winter and then Spring starts happening and I am sad. I will say though that snow and cold are better than rain and damp (from PNW so hated it then too).
Agree 100%. As the holidays approach I buy a couple of strands of lights. I put them up on the ledge of the loft and plug them in. They stay lit 24/7 until they burn out (mid-February to mid-March) but by then the sun has returned and spring is imminent. Totally and completely worth it. xo
I only made one Resolution this year – to get outside at least a little every day. I found it very difficult when we had a polar vortex and it was negative 40°, but I at least went out in the yard for a few minutes. It really has helped my mental health to be in daylight.
I looked at buying flowers, but they start at $20 in our local grocery store! $20! For 5 daffodils!
I’m glad your medication is working.
I’m glad your winter coping methods are working for you.
We keep the less overtly Christmassy porch/yard lights (i.e. everything but the candy canes) up until the end of February most years.
I’ve felt what might be a similar need for the comfort of little lights—not because of literal darkness, but because of the unbearably-dark Trump cloud hanging over our country. I feel it, dark and heavy, every day. Little lights are not enough, but they’re something.
I do know what you mean. A few years ago, I was particularly forlorn about taking down the Christmas decorations because I felt like I was about to be plunged into darkness. We had Christmas lights strung around our dining room. And I thought, ” Wait, these are just colorful string lights, they’re not Specific to Christmas. I could leave these up and put everything else away.” And the thought alone brought me some cheer and I left them up. When fall rolled around, I saw strings of orange lights, and I thought “Oh, this would be a great choice for fall!” So now, I have orange string lights up in our dining room from September to December, then I switch them out for the “Christmas lights” that then stay up until it’s time for the fall lights again. I love this and it has helped my mood steady out.
Yes! I love the idea of having things at the ready instead of needing to pull them out. I’m glad the supplemental light/warmth is getting you through and that longer days are on their way.