Tis the season. I am not a psychologist and I am not making any recommendations or diagnoses. ‘tis the season, anyway.
If the dark days of winter lasted any longer I would probably have to buy one of those lights or convince my family to move south. Thankfully though, every daylight after the 21st until late June is going to be a few minutes longer. Vitamin D and a good workout can help keep the undescribable moment of despair away or at least down to a manageable few minutes a day.
What is a person supposed to do, however, if they suspect a close friend or family member is going through the winter blues? Is it a good idea to mention it in passing?
I can just imagine the awkward conversation.
“Hello Jesse, I can’t help but notice you look a little down in the mouth. Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? That’s it, you too! Everyone thinks I’m worthless, I think so too, it must be so. And who the heck do you think you are, Mrs. Freud?”
So, maybe mentioning it is not such a good idea. Maybe, a secret gift certificate for an hour of counseling? Probably not.
I don’t think there is a good answer to my question about what to do when a friend is feeling down.
A tandem trip to the gym, a change of lighting on behalf of the whole office if you are in a situation where you can make this change might help. I really don’t have any good answers.
If you happen to be reading this post, and by some coincidence, I have described you, maybe you can be proactive and try some light therapy, some vitamin D, some physical activity. Most important is to ask for help if these doldrums are prolonged.
The final helpful tip that keeps me going is a calander. You can look up the times of sunrise and sunset for any day of the year. In a few days of checking, the simple reassurance that the daylight is coming back can be quite therapeutic. Put it away though after late June or you’ll jumpstart the winter blues.
While trying to help a friend or family member can put you in a Sticky Wicket, helping yourself is a wonderful thing to do.
I wonder if my local gym is closing early today?
Have a happy holiday season and accept my profound thanks for reading my posts.