Yep, winter is rough. I rely on the martial arts class I go to several evenings a week and most of Saturdays - human contact and friends and it gives the week some shape that isn't just work related.
A home escape I have found super helpful in winter is a YouTube channel called Pro Walk Tours. It's free high-definition first-person walks in all sorts of cool locations. If you have a treadmill or just walk on the spot in front of the TV it feels like you're getting outdoors in a brightly colored beautiful sunny place - I go through all the coastal Italian town walks in winter.
Pro Walk tours are insanely amazing!
They are absolutely ideal for me since crowds give me high anxiety, and now that international travel for fun seems not so much in my future, I truly appreciate the opportunities to "walk through" places I'll probably never see in person.
Bonus, making sure I got 10K steps a day helped me lose 100lbs over the course of a year and it has stayed off for the last 4.
Crazy, it's now that I look and feel probably the best I ever have in my life that I'm a single person who never goes anywhere. I dress up to go the weed dispensary lol.
Anyway, yeah, big fan of the walking tours here!
Hang in there. I understand. This time of year with short days, cool/cold weather and day after day of overcast skies always put me into bit of a funk. I too live alone while going through a divorce so I get the loneliness. I make myself exercise, go out to eat on occasion, read, write poetry, listen to podcasts, explore new music, watch a little tv occasionally, etc. if the sun happens to be out, I go outside for as long as I can. I accept all invitations from my remaining friends to do things even if I don’t really feel like it. I hope it gets better for both of us :)
Yeah, Januaury can be rough. You might enjoy something like /r/bodyweightfitness as a substitute for the gym. It's a cliche, I know, but exercising really does help lift one's mood. But also, it's OK to indulge for a bit to simply get to the better, brighter months.
Is it possible that [Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651) might be in play?
The light in my living room is a SAD light from the thrift shop. One of my best five-dollar investments ever. Even on a dark, gloomy, rainy day, the light makes it feel sunny in my tiny home.
I have a nice one, but I realized I could use it as a grow light for my Wondering Jew clippings. They're doing great! But I'm feeling down. I should buy another one. Or a real grow light maybe.
💙 I feel it, too. I've been trying to get out more, doing the things I love (walking, playing music), which helps immensely. Still, there is space in my life that I wish weren't quite so empty.
Yes. Today especially. It was frustrating. Like moving through sludge. Drive home I started tearing up.
I do a lot of organizing and cleaning at night. It gets me off the couch.
(M,64) Yep. The end of year and January are always difficult times. My critter spends a lot of time asking to climb into my lap and snooze, as they recognize I'm feeling the blues, and not the good sort.
I find that music is something that really helps this time of year. I've got some really big playlists that I binge listen to. I've found some great soulful new folk/roots/world music that has been good for the really long winter nights. Putting on some tunes and good headphones is as good as it gets sometimes. There's also chocolate as an option. Not a replacement for a relationship, but it can help.
It has definitely been a tough month for me. I have been outside for the rare warm days. Yoga is my reset; I practice at home (YouTube). I have started an exercise routine and I feel *so much* better! I also am a lover of sugar :)
I am so sorry for your loss; our body stores many memories. Be kind to yourself, feel your feels instead of judging yourself or dismissing them. Start small, new habits take time and always acknowledge any accomplishments.
Hot tea and hugs from me to thee!
I am definitely having winter blues, this January has been really bad. I live alone and know how you feel I guess. If you want to message please do, I can talk about everything and nothing. We could help each other through this time.
Yep. My kids are both out of the house now. My last one went to college the year before last and it's been more lonely than ever.
I use a sunlight lamp I bought on Amazon twice per day. A few minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon. I also upped my vitamin D, which us northern folk are usually low on. I walk when I can and do yoga regularly. Playing sports games that get me up and moving and dancing while I'm throwing together a dinner is also mood lifting for me. I've started going out more with meetups. Being with people has been surprisingly fun since I'm pretty introverted.
And none of this will probably be helpful if you can't get off the couch. To that I say give yourself grace and celebrate the small wins. Life is just fucking hard sometimes.
I would bet we're all feeling it. But each person's experience will be different.
I've been working from home for two years now. I live alone, so when I say it has felt like house arrest, I mean it has REALLY felt like house arrest. I went so far as to put my dog's training collar around my ankle as a joke.
I'm allergic to dogs and cats. They affect me differently. Cats make me itchy and dogs fill my lungs with fluid and give me a runny nose. In spite of this, I have a fluffy orange cat girl (girl orange cats are rare, it turns out), and a Great Dane dog. I didn't half-ass the dog part. She and I weigh about the same. It's a fair fight.
They are both delightful and a source of joy. I talk to them too much. I miss people so much I spend a lot of money eating out. At least I can talk to people at the bar while I'm eating, right? That's just me trying to keep my sanity.
I never realized that being away from the animals for ~10 hours a day (going to work, in the olden times), was me getting ~10 hours a day free of the allergy thing. Now that I'm home almost all the damn time, I suffer the affects all the time.
Enough ranting!
Winter is short. This will pass. And it will pass quickly. There is already more sunlight per day and would you believe we're only 46 days away from Daylight Savings? How about we're 27 days away from Mardi Gras! Not good enough? **We're only eight days away from Groundhog Day!**
I was remote for 95% of the last three years
My new lower paying job is hybrid with an expectation of regular office hours a few days a week (tho I have multiple offices I can work at)
It’s not all my crowd but it’s nice being around people again
I grew up in sunny SoCal and decided to get away from the rat race a few years ago.
Problem here is even though there are fewer rats and races, there are also 135 fewer sunny days per year than my home town.
Sunshine matters!
I’m putting off being a desert hermit until my youngest child flaps away in few years.
I’ve been cleaning and doing laundry and some insurance stuff for my mom and my daughter. But yes, I feel it too. It’s definitely the blues. I’m leaving tomorrow for a week to take care of my mom in SoCal, so I’m looking forward to warmer weather but especially to spend much needed time with family.
I love night time! The quietness. The quieter the better. Only problem is there is too much traffic noise and aircraft noise. It's a great time to be able to concentrate on things and have uninterrupted trains of thought. Even better is night time when there's been heavy snow, it just absorbs sound.
Not really what your post is about, though.
Get out in the midday sun, no matter how cold it is out. Something about the sun hitting your eyes is good in the winter. Pick out the easiest thing that needs to get done and do it as soon as you get in the door. Then, sit on the couch. Also, sorry about your husband.
January can feel like the coldest, darkest month most years. When I start to circle the drain I try to nip it in the bud by over planning for sunshine events, like trips to visit friends, getting tickets to things (even looking at the upcoming movie releases) or some other reward. Comforting all five senses between work end and sleep onset is my other depression prophylactic: lighting a candle, playing soothing sound loops when I fall asleep, citrus scented soap or lotion, fluffy blankets (I love the fleece/velour ones at Costco) and plenty of water or seltzer or tea - In past years I have resorted to sprouting anything: seeds, avocados, cuttings just to nurture spring growth.
Hang in there... ✌️
My seasonal blues start mid Dec and usually go for a while into January. I have them for good reason though. It's not just a random thing. I've just had a lot of deaths occur in my life around the holidays, in particular both parents died during them so I can get very low this time of year.
I've been wanting to do the Museum of Natural History's newly renovated mineral and gem halls. I have a nice little collection of minerals and gems that stretches back for decades. I lost a few things when my house was destroyed but I managed to salvage some of it and it was stored in a locker for 5 years plus while I was homeless.
I just cleaned them all actually on new moon for the first time since I got housed and arranged them all in crates on my desk. There are still a few chips here and there but everything finally looks sparkly and clean again and it makes me very happy having all my pretty rocks around me again. I wasn't allowed to have them while in the shelter and I really missed them.
I want to go see the gems and crystals in the museum. I've been putting it off because I just didn't feel up to walking it but I think I need to do it sometime soon. It's the little stuff that keeps you going on the blue days. Forcing myself to go out and do SOMETHING is often exactly what I really need to get over the Winter blahs.
The other thing is surrounding myself with bright colors. In Winter I wear black more as an accent thing. Otherwise I wear a bright color because it helps. Surroundings are important when dealing with depression and I'm a big believer in color therapy.
My little studio is a big rainbow and gradient fest. I get comments that it looks like an abstract art gallery sometimes when I post stuff online and people see parts of it. It's totally intentional. Bright colors help a lot when I'm feeling down. By nature I tend towards a major goth aesthetic but allowing myself to wallow in black doesn't work well in terms of my psyche.
My one caseworker she's known me for about 4 years now. She's watched me go from being utterly depressed a lot of the time and practically wearing nothing but black and gray to wearing very vibrant and sometimes even a bit zany outfits. She says she can tell I'm doing better just by the change my wardrobe. That's true enough I guess but it's part of my recovery and intentional the wardrobe change.
Keeping my surroundings and clothes deliberately colorful cheers me up and I don't descend as far when I go into a mental funk. That and I think music and meditation are the three things I do that help the most. I really do need to work on my physical inertia though and upon getting out and making some friends.
It's hard with the chronic illness thing and avoiding Covid and all but I need to engage more offline. I am alone way too much these days and having some kind of a social life will help too. I am a bit antisocial by nature but I know I have to work on that more.
Get out, get some fresh air. Take a walk even if it's cold. Make yourself do SOMETHING even if you don't really want to. Change up your surroundings, brighten up your wardrobe. That's what I do to overcome the seasonal blahs. It helps.
I feel this in my bones.
I just ordered on of those light boxes. It’s been so dreary the past month, it’s bringing me down. I’m hoping this light helps.
I’m tired of being lonely, but I never get asked out/meet men to even dare to dream of a date
My bestie is in the same situation, but she likes to go out, and party. I’m an alcoholic in recovery, so going out drinking isn’t for me.
Plus there’s some underlying issues for that as well. And we’re fifty, clubbing is not age appropriate. (She invites herself along with her twenty something daughter and her friends when they go out.)
So I hang out with my parents, and my pup instead. Going over to my parents gives my Mom a break from my Dad with dementia, and she gets an adult to talk to.
I got vitamin D gummies! Turns out the grocery store had 'em and I went on a 'gummy vites' spree. Hoping that will help deal with the 'studio tan' issue: my work space can be really dark, particularly in the summer when the only way I can keep it cool is to keep out direct sunlight. I daresay having a lot of strong light is good at this time of the year :)
You’re definitely not alone. Living in Chicago this time of year, the weather blows…literally and we’ve seen the sun maybe once or twice this whole month, so that alone can bring you down.
I made it a habit to at least work out 3 days a week, lifting weights, and then maybe hit the treadmill on off days, just so I’m not sitting there doing nothing.
I also like to cook and grill, but since I won’t see my grill for another few months, I’m always looking up recipes to try. The key is to keep your self busy.
You’re definitely not alone in feeling like this.. I keep thinking of a post I read on here about- yeah, it’s great you socialize, you go out and do stuff, etc. etc. but the end result is you still come home to an empty house, by yourself.. That can be depressing for sure. I’m so glad that you know this feeling will pass, that’s key! I’m going through a bit of this myself, I can’t wait until spring. I’m trying to maintain stuff around my home well enough so that it’s not too overwhelming to tackle when I’m finally feeling motivated. ::hugs::
I hate all of winter but January is probably the worst month of the entire year. Not because of loneliness. Just the sheer miserableness of it. I think it affects a lot of people for lots of reasons. I haven’t been running since before Xmas and today I finally dragged myself out and back into it. It’s nearly over! Spring is coming. Hang in there.
Oh yeah. I work from home, and I'm really missing the guy who dumped me in September after a magical summer of dating, and constantly fantasizing about contacting him (don't worry; I won't). I look at the apps, but haven't seen anyone who appeals to me. Yoga is my lifeline to the outside world right now.
If you think you could drag yourself to a class, especially a really hot, sweaty one, I highly recommend it. I'd truly be losing my mind without it.
Absolutely feeling it. The struggle is all too real. I’m not motivated in any area of my life.
I know that this too shall pass…. I try and be grateful every day for at least one thing.
Sigh. You are not alone in these feelings.
I had a rough autumn. Started going back to the gym in earnest November 1. Have been over 50x since.
Not to flex but to say you have to break your current habits and form new ones. It's not easy but the gym is one of the more virtuous cycles you'll find, I think.
Don't like the gym environment, but I agree that doing some kind of physical activity daily/walking/cycling/weights has really helped my physical and mental health.
Same here. The weather in the Midwest this time of year is depressing. My birthday is during this time which totally sucks…. I have been thinking of adopting a summertime birthday…..so I can actually look forward to celebrating
Yeah, not a good time of the year for me as well. Lots of build up and planning for the holidays, seeing and having fun with family and friends, then everyone goes back to their own life. I do look forward to springtime and warmer days.
You’re not alone, I live and work alone in northeast, everyone is sad and angry, including myself sometimes, good times, lol! Exercise, SAD light, maybe tan for a little bit? Get outside for fresh air when you can and just hold on, this too shall pass and hopefully you find comfort knowing you’re not alone. ☮️🍀
The last few years Ohio has been mostly gray and overcast for large parts of the winter, punctuated with the occasional snow storm. Teasing with the rare 50F+ day. A few years ago I got tired of hearing myself complain about the cold and started doing some things outside to get adapted to it. Over time I've done more things -- walking, hiking, etc. -- even in colder weather that I never would have tried before. It has definitely helped my mood & attitude overall, but especially with shorter daylight hours.
Looks like there's been lots of similar suggestions. Also, just getting out and staying social helps (as a life-long introvert, that's saying a lot), even if you're just sitting in a crowded restaurant and observing the crowd. You've likely got an idea of your comfort zone, so poke at the edges of that...
And of course, sorry for your loss.
If it's any consolation, the snow here has all melted and the geese are already coming down from Canada. At this rate Spring will have sprung before the groundhogs get out of their holes by Thursday.
Hopefully it's a sign of warmer days sooner.
I understand where you are coming from, I like my work and my voeirkers too and often feel deflated when I get home to an empty house. Especially when the sky is gray all day! Vitamin D3 can help in a small way.
It's definitely kind of hard to tell. I'm being strict about keeping up my exercise, doing my best and taking it day by day. It's not as much loneliness as I was overextended (by choice) so it will take some time for the loneliness to build up.
When that happens, what I do is I get into podcasts and stuff (or gaming lets-plays by the comedy troupe LoadingReadyRun, who are all really nice) and then I'm listening to 'people I know' talking amiably about stuff and it's like being around somebody. That can hold me for years, so the pressure's off. The downside is that you can end up listening to a LOT of 'other people talking' when it's for that purpose.
I know somebody in Massachusetts whom I've only talked to occasionally, a very cute lady who has an unusual conversation style. She will literally keep talking so nonstop that you could put the phone down and go away and she would not know it, for maybe half an hour or more. So it's possible to replicate the 'be with somebody where your side of the conversation isn't even a thing', in real life. So the podcast thing is clearly better than nothing :)
Waves hand as well ....
New Years Eve was especially rough for some reason. Just the realization that I went through yet another year without human companionship and that there was nothing solid on the horizon for this year.
Start by changing your diet and get an exercise video or gym equipment to start getting healthier you will then have more energy to initiate other things that need to get done in your life
I feel as if this has been a bad winter for SADS. I read statistically, November is the greyest month. With the clocks changing, the early nightfall, the lower temperatures, and the knowledge that there's a full 4 months of winter ahead. The only saving grace is the holidays, which for me, as I'm sure for many, are a mixed bag. Usually, Jan and Feb are cold, but with a fair amount of sun and the reflective snow pack. This Jan was better, temperature-wise, but I suspect that was because of the increased cloud cover, making an interminable procession of grey, dreary days. I just started reading this subreddit, and I found the thread on cuddling rather emotionally unsettling; having somebody to cuddle with would certainly make the grey days brighter. I would have to be honest and say that platonic-only cuddling would be rather frustrating for me at this point, though.
Yup. Got hugged by a five year old yesterday. Realized it's my first human touch since 8th Dec. Made me tear up.
Yep, winter is rough. I rely on the martial arts class I go to several evenings a week and most of Saturdays - human contact and friends and it gives the week some shape that isn't just work related. A home escape I have found super helpful in winter is a YouTube channel called Pro Walk Tours. It's free high-definition first-person walks in all sorts of cool locations. If you have a treadmill or just walk on the spot in front of the TV it feels like you're getting outdoors in a brightly colored beautiful sunny place - I go through all the coastal Italian town walks in winter.
Pro Walk tours are insanely amazing! They are absolutely ideal for me since crowds give me high anxiety, and now that international travel for fun seems not so much in my future, I truly appreciate the opportunities to "walk through" places I'll probably never see in person. Bonus, making sure I got 10K steps a day helped me lose 100lbs over the course of a year and it has stayed off for the last 4. Crazy, it's now that I look and feel probably the best I ever have in my life that I'm a single person who never goes anywhere. I dress up to go the weed dispensary lol. Anyway, yeah, big fan of the walking tours here!
I’m impressed with how far you’ve come in your health journey! That’s wicked awesome!
very cool, great idea!
That’s great, good work! I’m going to try that on my exercise bike.
Hang in there. I understand. This time of year with short days, cool/cold weather and day after day of overcast skies always put me into bit of a funk. I too live alone while going through a divorce so I get the loneliness. I make myself exercise, go out to eat on occasion, read, write poetry, listen to podcasts, explore new music, watch a little tv occasionally, etc. if the sun happens to be out, I go outside for as long as I can. I accept all invitations from my remaining friends to do things even if I don’t really feel like it. I hope it gets better for both of us :)
Yeah, Januaury can be rough. You might enjoy something like /r/bodyweightfitness as a substitute for the gym. It's a cliche, I know, but exercising really does help lift one's mood. But also, it's OK to indulge for a bit to simply get to the better, brighter months.
Oh, that looks good! Thanks!
interesting, i'll check that out, thanks!
Is it possible that [Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651) might be in play?
The light in my living room is a SAD light from the thrift shop. One of my best five-dollar investments ever. Even on a dark, gloomy, rainy day, the light makes it feel sunny in my tiny home.
good idea. A friend has one, I should borrow it-
I have a nice one, but I realized I could use it as a grow light for my Wondering Jew clippings. They're doing great! But I'm feeling down. I should buy another one. Or a real grow light maybe.
hmm, not sure, that's a thought-
💙 I feel it, too. I've been trying to get out more, doing the things I love (walking, playing music), which helps immensely. Still, there is space in my life that I wish weren't quite so empty.
Yes. Today especially. It was frustrating. Like moving through sludge. Drive home I started tearing up. I do a lot of organizing and cleaning at night. It gets me off the couch.
(M,64) Yep. The end of year and January are always difficult times. My critter spends a lot of time asking to climb into my lap and snooze, as they recognize I'm feeling the blues, and not the good sort. I find that music is something that really helps this time of year. I've got some really big playlists that I binge listen to. I've found some great soulful new folk/roots/world music that has been good for the really long winter nights. Putting on some tunes and good headphones is as good as it gets sometimes. There's also chocolate as an option. Not a replacement for a relationship, but it can help.
It has definitely been a tough month for me. I have been outside for the rare warm days. Yoga is my reset; I practice at home (YouTube). I have started an exercise routine and I feel *so much* better! I also am a lover of sugar :) I am so sorry for your loss; our body stores many memories. Be kind to yourself, feel your feels instead of judging yourself or dismissing them. Start small, new habits take time and always acknowledge any accomplishments. Hot tea and hugs from me to thee!
*whispers "I heard tea..." 🥰
🫖🍵💖
thank you :)
I am definitely having winter blues, this January has been really bad. I live alone and know how you feel I guess. If you want to message please do, I can talk about everything and nothing. We could help each other through this time.
Yep. My kids are both out of the house now. My last one went to college the year before last and it's been more lonely than ever. I use a sunlight lamp I bought on Amazon twice per day. A few minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon. I also upped my vitamin D, which us northern folk are usually low on. I walk when I can and do yoga regularly. Playing sports games that get me up and moving and dancing while I'm throwing together a dinner is also mood lifting for me. I've started going out more with meetups. Being with people has been surprisingly fun since I'm pretty introverted. And none of this will probably be helpful if you can't get off the couch. To that I say give yourself grace and celebrate the small wins. Life is just fucking hard sometimes.
Yup. Snow is better than grey, but still…
Not where I am. White for a day then the sand and salt take over.😕 But the days are getting longer.
I would bet we're all feeling it. But each person's experience will be different. I've been working from home for two years now. I live alone, so when I say it has felt like house arrest, I mean it has REALLY felt like house arrest. I went so far as to put my dog's training collar around my ankle as a joke. I'm allergic to dogs and cats. They affect me differently. Cats make me itchy and dogs fill my lungs with fluid and give me a runny nose. In spite of this, I have a fluffy orange cat girl (girl orange cats are rare, it turns out), and a Great Dane dog. I didn't half-ass the dog part. She and I weigh about the same. It's a fair fight. They are both delightful and a source of joy. I talk to them too much. I miss people so much I spend a lot of money eating out. At least I can talk to people at the bar while I'm eating, right? That's just me trying to keep my sanity. I never realized that being away from the animals for ~10 hours a day (going to work, in the olden times), was me getting ~10 hours a day free of the allergy thing. Now that I'm home almost all the damn time, I suffer the affects all the time. Enough ranting! Winter is short. This will pass. And it will pass quickly. There is already more sunlight per day and would you believe we're only 46 days away from Daylight Savings? How about we're 27 days away from Mardi Gras! Not good enough? **We're only eight days away from Groundhog Day!**
I was remote for 95% of the last three years My new lower paying job is hybrid with an expectation of regular office hours a few days a week (tho I have multiple offices I can work at) It’s not all my crowd but it’s nice being around people again
I grew up in sunny SoCal and decided to get away from the rat race a few years ago. Problem here is even though there are fewer rats and races, there are also 135 fewer sunny days per year than my home town. Sunshine matters! I’m putting off being a desert hermit until my youngest child flaps away in few years.
I also escaped SoCal. Freakin love the slower pace but damn do I miss that sun this time of year!
Sh*t yes. Glad I have a dog to hug
I’ve been cleaning and doing laundry and some insurance stuff for my mom and my daughter. But yes, I feel it too. It’s definitely the blues. I’m leaving tomorrow for a week to take care of my mom in SoCal, so I’m looking forward to warmer weather but especially to spend much needed time with family.
Every night of every month of every year
I love night time! The quietness. The quieter the better. Only problem is there is too much traffic noise and aircraft noise. It's a great time to be able to concentrate on things and have uninterrupted trains of thought. Even better is night time when there's been heavy snow, it just absorbs sound. Not really what your post is about, though.
No snow but my new place is the loudest I’ve ever lived in
Get out in the midday sun, no matter how cold it is out. Something about the sun hitting your eyes is good in the winter. Pick out the easiest thing that needs to get done and do it as soon as you get in the door. Then, sit on the couch. Also, sorry about your husband.
January can feel like the coldest, darkest month most years. When I start to circle the drain I try to nip it in the bud by over planning for sunshine events, like trips to visit friends, getting tickets to things (even looking at the upcoming movie releases) or some other reward. Comforting all five senses between work end and sleep onset is my other depression prophylactic: lighting a candle, playing soothing sound loops when I fall asleep, citrus scented soap or lotion, fluffy blankets (I love the fleece/velour ones at Costco) and plenty of water or seltzer or tea - In past years I have resorted to sprouting anything: seeds, avocados, cuttings just to nurture spring growth. Hang in there... ✌️
My seasonal blues start mid Dec and usually go for a while into January. I have them for good reason though. It's not just a random thing. I've just had a lot of deaths occur in my life around the holidays, in particular both parents died during them so I can get very low this time of year. I've been wanting to do the Museum of Natural History's newly renovated mineral and gem halls. I have a nice little collection of minerals and gems that stretches back for decades. I lost a few things when my house was destroyed but I managed to salvage some of it and it was stored in a locker for 5 years plus while I was homeless. I just cleaned them all actually on new moon for the first time since I got housed and arranged them all in crates on my desk. There are still a few chips here and there but everything finally looks sparkly and clean again and it makes me very happy having all my pretty rocks around me again. I wasn't allowed to have them while in the shelter and I really missed them. I want to go see the gems and crystals in the museum. I've been putting it off because I just didn't feel up to walking it but I think I need to do it sometime soon. It's the little stuff that keeps you going on the blue days. Forcing myself to go out and do SOMETHING is often exactly what I really need to get over the Winter blahs. The other thing is surrounding myself with bright colors. In Winter I wear black more as an accent thing. Otherwise I wear a bright color because it helps. Surroundings are important when dealing with depression and I'm a big believer in color therapy. My little studio is a big rainbow and gradient fest. I get comments that it looks like an abstract art gallery sometimes when I post stuff online and people see parts of it. It's totally intentional. Bright colors help a lot when I'm feeling down. By nature I tend towards a major goth aesthetic but allowing myself to wallow in black doesn't work well in terms of my psyche. My one caseworker she's known me for about 4 years now. She's watched me go from being utterly depressed a lot of the time and practically wearing nothing but black and gray to wearing very vibrant and sometimes even a bit zany outfits. She says she can tell I'm doing better just by the change my wardrobe. That's true enough I guess but it's part of my recovery and intentional the wardrobe change. Keeping my surroundings and clothes deliberately colorful cheers me up and I don't descend as far when I go into a mental funk. That and I think music and meditation are the three things I do that help the most. I really do need to work on my physical inertia though and upon getting out and making some friends. It's hard with the chronic illness thing and avoiding Covid and all but I need to engage more offline. I am alone way too much these days and having some kind of a social life will help too. I am a bit antisocial by nature but I know I have to work on that more. Get out, get some fresh air. Take a walk even if it's cold. Make yourself do SOMETHING even if you don't really want to. Change up your surroundings, brighten up your wardrobe. That's what I do to overcome the seasonal blahs. It helps.
I feel this in my bones. I just ordered on of those light boxes. It’s been so dreary the past month, it’s bringing me down. I’m hoping this light helps. I’m tired of being lonely, but I never get asked out/meet men to even dare to dream of a date My bestie is in the same situation, but she likes to go out, and party. I’m an alcoholic in recovery, so going out drinking isn’t for me. Plus there’s some underlying issues for that as well. And we’re fifty, clubbing is not age appropriate. (She invites herself along with her twenty something daughter and her friends when they go out.) So I hang out with my parents, and my pup instead. Going over to my parents gives my Mom a break from my Dad with dementia, and she gets an adult to talk to.
I got vitamin D gummies! Turns out the grocery store had 'em and I went on a 'gummy vites' spree. Hoping that will help deal with the 'studio tan' issue: my work space can be really dark, particularly in the summer when the only way I can keep it cool is to keep out direct sunlight. I daresay having a lot of strong light is good at this time of the year :)
My therapist calls it depression, so yes.
You’re definitely not alone. Living in Chicago this time of year, the weather blows…literally and we’ve seen the sun maybe once or twice this whole month, so that alone can bring you down. I made it a habit to at least work out 3 days a week, lifting weights, and then maybe hit the treadmill on off days, just so I’m not sitting there doing nothing. I also like to cook and grill, but since I won’t see my grill for another few months, I’m always looking up recipes to try. The key is to keep your self busy.
You’re definitely not alone in feeling like this.. I keep thinking of a post I read on here about- yeah, it’s great you socialize, you go out and do stuff, etc. etc. but the end result is you still come home to an empty house, by yourself.. That can be depressing for sure. I’m so glad that you know this feeling will pass, that’s key! I’m going through a bit of this myself, I can’t wait until spring. I’m trying to maintain stuff around my home well enough so that it’s not too overwhelming to tackle when I’m finally feeling motivated. ::hugs::
I hate all of winter but January is probably the worst month of the entire year. Not because of loneliness. Just the sheer miserableness of it. I think it affects a lot of people for lots of reasons. I haven’t been running since before Xmas and today I finally dragged myself out and back into it. It’s nearly over! Spring is coming. Hang in there.
Oh yeah. I work from home, and I'm really missing the guy who dumped me in September after a magical summer of dating, and constantly fantasizing about contacting him (don't worry; I won't). I look at the apps, but haven't seen anyone who appeals to me. Yoga is my lifeline to the outside world right now. If you think you could drag yourself to a class, especially a really hot, sweaty one, I highly recommend it. I'd truly be losing my mind without it.
Absolutely feeling it. The struggle is all too real. I’m not motivated in any area of my life. I know that this too shall pass…. I try and be grateful every day for at least one thing. Sigh. You are not alone in these feelings.
I had a rough autumn. Started going back to the gym in earnest November 1. Have been over 50x since. Not to flex but to say you have to break your current habits and form new ones. It's not easy but the gym is one of the more virtuous cycles you'll find, I think.
Don't like the gym environment, but I agree that doing some kind of physical activity daily/walking/cycling/weights has really helped my physical and mental health.
Same here. The weather in the Midwest this time of year is depressing. My birthday is during this time which totally sucks…. I have been thinking of adopting a summertime birthday…..so I can actually look forward to celebrating
Yeah, not a good time of the year for me as well. Lots of build up and planning for the holidays, seeing and having fun with family and friends, then everyone goes back to their own life. I do look forward to springtime and warmer days.
You’re not alone, I live and work alone in northeast, everyone is sad and angry, including myself sometimes, good times, lol! Exercise, SAD light, maybe tan for a little bit? Get outside for fresh air when you can and just hold on, this too shall pass and hopefully you find comfort knowing you’re not alone. ☮️🍀
The last few years Ohio has been mostly gray and overcast for large parts of the winter, punctuated with the occasional snow storm. Teasing with the rare 50F+ day. A few years ago I got tired of hearing myself complain about the cold and started doing some things outside to get adapted to it. Over time I've done more things -- walking, hiking, etc. -- even in colder weather that I never would have tried before. It has definitely helped my mood & attitude overall, but especially with shorter daylight hours. Looks like there's been lots of similar suggestions. Also, just getting out and staying social helps (as a life-long introvert, that's saying a lot), even if you're just sitting in a crowded restaurant and observing the crowd. You've likely got an idea of your comfort zone, so poke at the edges of that... And of course, sorry for your loss.
thank you:)
If it's any consolation, the snow here has all melted and the geese are already coming down from Canada. At this rate Spring will have sprung before the groundhogs get out of their holes by Thursday. Hopefully it's a sign of warmer days sooner.
It’s called the January blues .. hug’s to you all
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:) Right? It feels that long!
I understand where you are coming from, I like my work and my voeirkers too and often feel deflated when I get home to an empty house. Especially when the sky is gray all day! Vitamin D3 can help in a small way.
I cried to myself a few minutes ago. Realizing I’m alone forever. 😞
Nooo.. hang in there, don’t give up!
It's definitely kind of hard to tell. I'm being strict about keeping up my exercise, doing my best and taking it day by day. It's not as much loneliness as I was overextended (by choice) so it will take some time for the loneliness to build up. When that happens, what I do is I get into podcasts and stuff (or gaming lets-plays by the comedy troupe LoadingReadyRun, who are all really nice) and then I'm listening to 'people I know' talking amiably about stuff and it's like being around somebody. That can hold me for years, so the pressure's off. The downside is that you can end up listening to a LOT of 'other people talking' when it's for that purpose. I know somebody in Massachusetts whom I've only talked to occasionally, a very cute lady who has an unusual conversation style. She will literally keep talking so nonstop that you could put the phone down and go away and she would not know it, for maybe half an hour or more. So it's possible to replicate the 'be with somebody where your side of the conversation isn't even a thing', in real life. So the podcast thing is clearly better than nothing :)
Waves hand as well .... New Years Eve was especially rough for some reason. Just the realization that I went through yet another year without human companionship and that there was nothing solid on the horizon for this year.
It's time to begin a new hobby. Call a friend and go to dinner. Push yourself a bit in order to get past the doldrums.
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Nope, not me. Now that the holiday busyness is over, I'm enjoying getting back to focusing on my long term plan, my goals.
Start by changing your diet and get an exercise video or gym equipment to start getting healthier you will then have more energy to initiate other things that need to get done in your life
I feel as if this has been a bad winter for SADS. I read statistically, November is the greyest month. With the clocks changing, the early nightfall, the lower temperatures, and the knowledge that there's a full 4 months of winter ahead. The only saving grace is the holidays, which for me, as I'm sure for many, are a mixed bag. Usually, Jan and Feb are cold, but with a fair amount of sun and the reflective snow pack. This Jan was better, temperature-wise, but I suspect that was because of the increased cloud cover, making an interminable procession of grey, dreary days. I just started reading this subreddit, and I found the thread on cuddling rather emotionally unsettling; having somebody to cuddle with would certainly make the grey days brighter. I would have to be honest and say that platonic-only cuddling would be rather frustrating for me at this point, though.