During the winter it is normal for all of us to feel less energized and perhaps a greater need to rest. This comes from shorter days and an increased release of melatonin. In nature this seasonal shift causes many animals to hibernate, but us humans keep plugging along. We have an incredible ability to override the natural physiological responses to seasonal change, in order to adapt to a lifestyle that does not afford for hibernation. However, in some of us, that override is not there. For those of us with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), we are overcome by a sense of hopelessness and worthlessness, we may not sleep at night and feel tired all day. We feel antisocial and less interested in the activities we typically enjoy. There is no switch we can flip and that can be incredibly overwhelming and discouraging.
There is a single tree right in front of my kitchen window. It is surrounded by rose bushes. In the the spring, summer, and fall, the tree is covered in pretty leaves, with pretty red roses adorning its trunk. Then suddenly the cold will come, and in what feels like less than a weeks time, all the leaves are gone, and the beautiful rose bush is just a wicked cluster of thistles. The other day while walking back from the mail box, I stopped to stair closely at the tree. It looked painful to be honest. Its been cold here, and the bark seemed to be shrink in distress. I also noticed a thistly vine had grown all the way up the tree from the rose bush. The thorns were piercing it’s dark gray body. Ouch. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that tree and how it so accurately symbolizes how I feel. How can I feel so happy and radiant all year long, literally surrounded by roses, then rapidly, yet predictably, sink into such raw despair? SAD feels exactly like that tree looks. Completely stripped, totally raw, and utterly defenseless. The thorny vine that digs into its branches may have been there all year, but now it is exposed for everyone to see. There are no pretty leaves to conceal it.
Yet, at the end of the day, this is nature right? This is God’s glorious design. With every season, turn, turn, turn….So if we can see this truth in nature and we can accept that this is a real physical struggle we must face, then how can we allow it to refine us and enlighten us in the midst of the pain? Hopefully I can help you with that….
I have suffered from SAD my whole life, but only fully recognized its existence when I was diagnosed in 2010. Since then, I have discovered ways to make this time of year more bearable, and through that I have significantly shortened the peak period of my symptoms.
Here are my tips:
1. If you think you have it, get diagnosed and accept it. Prior to accepting it, I would fight it! I would spend months churning over this constant “what’s wrong with me?” question. It made me sick, and never allowed me to move on. Now that I know I have it, I can feel it coming on. I slow down and step into what’s to come with more acceptance and understanding.
2. Surround yourself with comfort~Cozy blankets, inspirational books, pretty paintings and pictures, redecorate a corner (it’s ok if it takes you a week to do it~your not your normal self remember)~Don’t feel bad for shutting some doors on messes; If your SAD is really bad you may only have the energy to keep one space tidy~Make that your sanctuary. Buy a few new baggy sweaters, wear them everyday. Light smell good candles and massage yourself daily with essential oils.
3. Light therapy. If you can afford a light therapy lamp, get one. If not, try to sit in an open window with the sunlight directly on your face for at least 20 minutes. If you can get outside, even better. Try to force a walk, but don’t kill yourself with guilt if you can’t! Let go of guilt!
4. Be ok with who you are now, and let go of who you are the rest of the year (He/She will be back and better than before). I am usually very outgoing and love being social. However, when SAD hits, if you aren’t in my enter circle…Hhssss get away! I literally do not have the energy to “put it on” for anyone. I’m the stripped down tree remember? And you know what? Thats ok! We have somehow convinced ourselves that we have to be perfect all the time, we don’t. We aren’t! I mean if nature has to follow this law, don’t you think its ok if we do too? This is your time to say NO. No, I can’t do lunch. No, I can’t have your kids over for a sleep over. But on the flip side, do say YES to dinner with your best friend or a cozy night over at your parents house. You need to be social but be social with people who you can be 100% YOU with.
5. Create your “new routine”. This kind of goes along with number 4. If you are a yes person like me, its time to incorporate a little No. Slow down! Shorten your exercise routine, focus on stretching, yoga, prayer, and balance. Don’t be afraid to cut out some clutter, and don’t feel bad about it. Put just a few “to-dos” on your list; One item for your health, one item for your home, and one item for your family. {don’t neglect your health, this will pass far more quickly with even 10 minutes of exercise a day~trust me}
6. Look inside and get quite. Nothing is without meaning. This is the most important item that helps me to embrace this time, and through this I grow. I always come out the other side with greater knowledge and understanding. There is a reason that tree in my yard is stripped down, and there is a reason I feel a connection to that tree right now.What does God do for us when we are stripped down? What can he reveal? More than when we are concealed right?
7. This too shall pass. Do not become overwhelmed. Soon you will feel alive again. Your hope will return and your energy will spring anew. Don’t be hard on yourself, now is the time to love yourself the most!
Think of the tree. Every year it grows, every year it perseveres. It doesn’t care about what everyone else is doing and what everyone else thinks about it. It has no clue that its my muse for this blog right now! Nope, all it does is follow the rhythm that our Creator set before it. It soaks up the sun and drinks the water. It will bear fruit again, and so will you and I. Be still and know!
Finally, I will leave you with this quote to think on:
“Be Still With God- To be idle sometimes is the part of wisdom. It is the needful rest and relaxation that Christ invited his disciples to share with Him when they were overstrained and worn out with labour. The best way to enjoy it is to get away from the crowd into some quiet place where the heart can be still with God in the open air. It is most sweet when it is shared by friends. Such idleness may be fruitful. It reaps ‘The harvest of a quite eye, that broods and sleeps on His own heart.'”~unknown
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