POST-HOLIDAY BLUES

I don't know about y'all, but I am having a bit of a struggle this month.  I have been tired, lethargic, and unmotivated.  This happens to me every January, yet I always think it will pass on its own without me having to do anything special.  Wrong!  It's a side-effect of living in the Northeast, and I lovingly refer to this phenomenon as the Post-Holiday Blues.  It's that sense of hopelessness that occurs when you realize the holidays are over and...now what!?  It is at least another four months before things warm up, but it's not just about the weather because, truth be told, I love the season changes and actually don't mind the cold.  It is a combination of everything!  You have that mad rush of Halloween into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, then nothing for months, unless you get excited over Easter??  Plus it's cold, the lack of sunshine and Vitamin D, the Daylight Savings crap where you feel like it is dark 24/7.  You're broke because you spent all your money at Christmastime.  Your car looks like crap from all the snow and salt.  Your skin and nasal passages are so dry from your indoor heating that you feel about 100 years old, and by this time, it is likely you've picked up some sort of cold, flu, or other winter-related ailment.  So how do you stay motivated when these are the conditions??  This is a question I'm asking myself right now?  The following is what I have in mind. 

WINTER CONTINGENCY PLAN

Have a plan:
First and most important is to HAVE a plan!  I think you need a plan or at least I do.  You have to devise a bit of a schedule for yourself during the winter months, because you can't rely on the pure adrenaline of the time of year and mild weather like during the summer, to motivate you to want to go out and do things.

Start early:
You have to do things as early in the day as possible.  You don't have the luxury of coming home from work and taking an hour to first get settled.  If you need daylight for your activity, you need to either get out there and do it right away, or learn to contend with the dark.  Regardless of the hours you keep, you must definitely be more mindful of the position of the sun in the sky during these long winter months.

Pick a project:
Pick something to do and stick with it.  If it's something outside where daylight is needed, commit to doing a little each day until it gets done.  If it's an indoor project, work on it until its completion.  Don't take big breaks and pauses from it.  Set a deadline and adhere to your time-line.

Get into the light:
I'm not advocating tanning booths, but I do feel different when I have access to a light source.  If you can't soak up some natural sunlight each day, at least ten minutes or so, try using an alternative light source.  There are tons of light therapy products that mimic natural sunlight.

Up your Vitamin D
Research suggests that at least 40% of the US population is Vitamin D deficient.  Deficiencies have been linked to everything from depression, osteoporosis, and cancer, to Diabetes and Obesity.  Ask your doctor for a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, or 25(OH)D, then start the necessary therapy should you be deficient. 

Exercise
Keep with your exercise routine.  If it's too cold to exercise outdoors, go to the gym.  If things are getting boring at the gym, bundle up and head outside!  Keep some exercise equipment handy for at home.  If it snows or you get trapped indoors, do an old exercise video or some stair climbing in your home, but whatever you do, keep moving!

Lift your mood:
I find listening to upbeat music really helps me.  My stereo is always on when I'm at home, and I keep my I-pod Nano on me if I am working outside or moving around from room to room a lot.  Listening to comedy also really helps.  If you have I-tunes radio they have some great comedy stations that play live and  pre-recorded comedy bits 24-hours a day.  Better yet, support your local talent and go out and see a live comedy show- a great wintertime activity, or rent a comedy DVD.  The laughs will make you feel better!

Keep neat and orderly:
Nothing says "I give up" like a dirty home or a heap of laundry piled sky high.  Spring cleaning is great, but there is something to be said for winter cleaning as well.  Throw open your windows and let a little fresh air in.  Keep with your cleaning routine and your laundry and for God sakes, take the Christmas decorations down!!  Staring at that stuff weeks later only adds to your misery.  Finally, if your car looks white instead of whatever color it is supposed to be- head to the car wash!  Yes, it will most likely snow a minute after you do, but it will make you feel better I promise.  It's good for your car too!

Don't let TV (or food) be your #1 activity:
If you're stuck inside there are lots of activities you can take advantage of.  Try putting a puzzle together, working on crosswords, or playing some cards or board games with your kids or spouse.  Read.  Write.  Use some foreign language software or other educational software.  Keep your mind active and you are less likely to become a depressed couch potato.

Get physical:
Never underestimate what a healthy sex life can do for you!  The winter is a great time to snuggle up to a partner, and hey, it burns a few calories too! ;-)
 
"Depression is the inability to construct a future." - Rollo May