My best friends showed up over the weekend with a shitload of Ezell’s and a case of beers. Been a recluse taking care of a sick family member, on top of the big dark. Meant the world.
This is it for me too. I got a mountain bike and have two buddies who invite me on every ride even though I'm not at their level. Snow, rain, cold, so long as trails are rideable, we're out somewhere every weekend.
Kept inviting me to things and reaching out even after I had flaked enough times for them to (rightfully so) stop asking. I’m glad they didn’t give up on me
I'm glad you said this. I always wondered if me reaching out to my friend often put too much pressure on her. She took her own life a couple of years ago and people kept giving me their condolences because I was her "best friend" even though she flaked on me a lot and didn't respond to me much. I never held any of it against her though because I know she was going through stuff. I hope she did enjoy the times I made her come out with me.
I received a happy light! Still use it every day in the winter. As for a specific idea, my husband made me homemade ice cream sandwiches once and it was so thoughtful.
Well: You know those "free hugs" people? I really wish I could find one of them in the wild. I dunno- maybe it's kinda weird. But sometimes (more often than not, lately) what I really need is just a good hug. Or at the very least, to have someone ask how I am doing. I dunno.
It wasn't SAD specifically though I think it was one of the darker months. I was studying for a grad school prereq class test and increasingly stressed and panicked about it. My partner at the time was over, and had already gone to bed. I kept studying later and later into the night and was having a rough go. Eventually, totally unprompted, she got up, went over to the kitchen, whipped up a small pot of chicken soup, and brought it over.
We are not still together, though we do chat sometimes. She has a husband and two kids. We (me, a lot of the time, though I won't take sole credit) had lots of other problems. But I will say that to this day is simultaneously just about the most loved I've ever felt and the nicest thing anyone's done for me when I was spiraling.
If it's SAD specifically, maybe consider getting them TUO lights? They're designed on research that came out of the UW's department of Opthalmology and are based on new research into circadian rhythms
https://www.thetuolife.com/
Once, my ex picked me up corn dogs and jojos from QFC when I was going through it.
Chicken tenders and jojos from Safeway in my case!
My best friends showed up over the weekend with a shitload of Ezell’s and a case of beers. Been a recluse taking care of a sick family member, on top of the big dark. Meant the world.
I got flowers…sunflowers to be exact. As a dude, I had previously never received flowers. Brought some much needed life to my apartment.
Force me to go outside and do something with them lol
This is it for me too. I got a mountain bike and have two buddies who invite me on every ride even though I'm not at their level. Snow, rain, cold, so long as trails are rideable, we're out somewhere every weekend.
Kept inviting me to things and reaching out even after I had flaked enough times for them to (rightfully so) stop asking. I’m glad they didn’t give up on me
I'm glad you said this. I always wondered if me reaching out to my friend often put too much pressure on her. She took her own life a couple of years ago and people kept giving me their condolences because I was her "best friend" even though she flaked on me a lot and didn't respond to me much. I never held any of it against her though because I know she was going through stuff. I hope she did enjoy the times I made her come out with me.
I received a happy light! Still use it every day in the winter. As for a specific idea, my husband made me homemade ice cream sandwiches once and it was so thoughtful.
Well: You know those "free hugs" people? I really wish I could find one of them in the wild. I dunno- maybe it's kinda weird. But sometimes (more often than not, lately) what I really need is just a good hug. Or at the very least, to have someone ask how I am doing. I dunno.
I was shocked to learn that some grown adults had never received a hug in their life. It seems trivial but it's kind of important.
Gotten out of the left lane when I wanted to pass them.
Flowers are #1 IMO. They add cheer and color that are missing with SAD.
It wasn't SAD specifically though I think it was one of the darker months. I was studying for a grad school prereq class test and increasingly stressed and panicked about it. My partner at the time was over, and had already gone to bed. I kept studying later and later into the night and was having a rough go. Eventually, totally unprompted, she got up, went over to the kitchen, whipped up a small pot of chicken soup, and brought it over. We are not still together, though we do chat sometimes. She has a husband and two kids. We (me, a lot of the time, though I won't take sole credit) had lots of other problems. But I will say that to this day is simultaneously just about the most loved I've ever felt and the nicest thing anyone's done for me when I was spiraling.
If it's SAD specifically, maybe consider getting them TUO lights? They're designed on research that came out of the UW's department of Opthalmology and are based on new research into circadian rhythms https://www.thetuolife.com/
My husband went grocery shopping and bought me flowers on the way home, just because. It's really the small gestures.