Friday, February 09, 2007

Winter Doldrums

doldrums- (noun) 1. a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art.

2. a dull, listless, depresesed mood; low spirits.

synonyms - depression, gloom, melancholy, dejection


Ugh. Can someone please wake me when it's spring? I think I am suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Day after day of dreary gray skies and cold temperatures are starting to bring me down. My brain seems to have slowed down a lot. I'm even more scattered than usual (hard to believe but true). I can't focus. It takes me hours to write one sentence. My normal dithering is getting out of control. I'm having trouble getting going in the morning. Should I wash my hair? What shampoo should I use? Should I have coffee or tea? What should I wear? This or that? By the time I'm ready to start my day it's dinnertime already.

My sense of humor is suffering lately. Stuff that would normally amuse me just makes me shrug. I'll think, "that's funny," but I won't laugh. I don't cackle to myself with evil glee anymore when I write my posts. I'm not depressed so much as I just feel very Blah.

I know I should try to get outside more and I know exercising would help. Last night I ran up and down the stairs about twenty times and it improved my mood for a little bit, but what I would really like to do is hibernate. Anybody else out there feeling the same? What do you reccommend? Besides serious drugs that is. I'll be seeing my shrink next week. What I mean is do you have any tricks to shake yourselves out of the winter doldrums?

11 comments:

Scottsdale Girl said...

Move to Arizona my dear. 360 days a year it is "SUNNY AND WARM".

Ok I do get cold here in the winter and if it rains for more than 20 seconds I get grouchy and to be honest my SAD is actually that I get horrific Spring Fever and want to do nothing but lay in the sun all day.

Did I help?

GetFlix said...

Oh boy. You too? It's is like 10 degrees here!! It's too cold to go out.

In slightly warmer weather, (Like above freezing!) I would suggest Nordic skiing.

Diane said...

Get out and walk in nature - a park or woodsy area

Get your toe nails painted a pretty, bright color

Go to Baskin Robbins and get a scoop of ice cream in a sugar cone

I do relate to some extent - 2 weeks ago I was exercising twice a day and had endless energy - this week - I'm home late from work and the dogs get a quick walk before I sit on the couch with a glass of Target Box Wine and the remote. I watched Shopgirl last night until almost midnight - late for me - and the movie made me sob . . .

So today I wore a brightly colored poncho and bought all my favorite goodies to take to work for my lunch salad . . . it helped :-)

M-M-M-Mishy said...

My SAD is driving me nuts since before Christmas. All I know is that the little groundhog said spring is coming soon, so that's what is keeping me going right now.

I've been exercising to try to get my lazy ass in gear. I'm moving, but I don't know if feeling any better.

My feel better cure is getting a massage, a pedicure, or a detoxifying facial. I love the spa.

Prunella Jones said...

SG- I actually lived in Tempe, AZ for about a year. I did enjoy the winter there but summer, yikes! I guess you get used to it tho. I remember seeing people out jogging in 112 degree weather. Tempe was a fun university town.

GF- What did the groundhog say? Six more weeks?

Di- Those are good suggestions. I usually go for a walk every day but it's been too cold lately. My dog doesn't even want to go out. She'll squat and pee 3 inches from the door and then scratch to be let back in.

Mish- How do you guys keep so cheerful with all that bad weather? I swear every Canadian I've ever met has a wicked sense of humor. Something in the water?

PixieGaf said...

They put Lithium in water here in Texas and I I have never suffered from S.A.D. Coincidence I think not.

T-girl said...

Amen sister! Amen!

Try a tanning bed 10 minutes a week. My doctor told me that... I haven't done it yet though so let me know if it works! LMAO

I have it also, here it has warmed a bit but still... nasty overcast skies. I think what makes it worse was a few weeks ago we had a week and a half of GORGOUS (VERY cold tho) weather so now that we are back to "normal" I really want to slit my wrists. I think it is in the air right now, maybe the moon or something but everyone seems to be Bleh! LOL March and April are just around the corner tho! YEAH!!!!!

Prunella Jones said...

Pix- for real? How trippy.

T- a tanning bed is sounding real appealing right now. I'm whiter than Gwen Steffani's hair.

LA said...

Pru - Short of moving to a perpetually sunny locale, I suggest getting an Ott Lite. You can google it, but in essence they are lamps offer full-specturm color from their bulbs, that is to say, they imitate sunlight. Artisans use them to avoid eye strain (I got mine when I was doing bead work), but they are proven to benefit people who suffer from SAD. Plus, they make a great reading lamp.

LA said...

Pru - Amazon carries them:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-6480684-5468162?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ott+lite

Frannie Farmer said...

I'm with T on the tanning bed thing. I have done it in the past and it totally worked for me. Warmed me right up, cleared up that adult acne and gave a little color to my pasty white skin ...