Ain't No Sunshine

The sun'll come ouuuutttt, TOMORROW this Spring (hopefully).

Bet your bottom dollar that TOMORROWWWW in May (if we're lucky),

There'll be SUN.

Ok so that sassy little ditty isn't entirely true.  We've actually had a lot of sunshine lately in these parts.  Not nearly as much of the Western WA rain that we're so unfairly (in)famous for.  I mean don't get me wrong - it rains.  Kind of a lot.  But not so much this Winter so far.  But geeeeeeeesh is it cold (... easy, Spokanites.  I know, you're colder).  And it still gets dark much earlier than we would prefer.  Though that's slowly but surely changing too!  Wahoo!  

The point is, it's Winter.  It's dark, it's dreary, it's time to listen to Re:Stacks by Bon Iver on repeat and hole up with ooey, gooey comfort foods and hot drinks and Grey's Anatomy Netflix binges.  All day, e'ry day.  Oh, that's just me?  EFF.  Except I know it's not, so get over yourselves.  And not EVERYTHING I eat is ooey gooey and comforting, oh-KAY?  And I still go to the gym and make mostly healthy choices.  I just do it in time to come back to Grey's Anatomy when it's all dark and dreary.  Yikes.

Because you know what?  Cold, dark Winter months affect me.  And I don't care who knows it.  Do I fall into deep, dark, devastating depression?  No.  Do I maybe fall into a little teenie weenie touch of depression from time to time?  YES.  And so do YOU.  Because everyone does.  Not just in the Winter, not just because of the Winter.  But because of our brains and our serotonin and our Mood Monsters who selfishly hog them.  My theory is that they get just as sad and cold and hungry in the Winter as we do, so they feel like they need to hole up with our ooey gooey comforting neurotransmitters too (GROSS, don't let yourself try to picture that). 

So what do we do abut this?

It's hard to say.  Because we can't manufacture sunshine, right?

Well actually we kinda can.  I mean not REALLY.  But kind of.

1. I have heard good things about sun lamps.  Keep one on your desk?  Or maybe just use it at home when you are bummed that you completely missed the light of day because you rose before the sun and worked right through its bed time.
2. Vitamin D supplements.  This ain't no joke.  I have been reading a lot about Vitamin D and its MANY benefits, and it's really important to supplement when you aren't getting it in the form of those glorious warm rays.
3. Exercise.  I say it every time I'm talking about ways to improve mood and energy and blah, blah, blah, but that's because it's the oldest and most basic trick in the book folks!  So go on a walk!  In the sun!  While taking your Vitamin D supplement!  Ok, ok.  Over the top.  Just getting excited.
4. If you have to snuggle up indoors, don't snuggle up alone!  Oooooo, romantic!  That's not what I meant.  Well, maybe it is.  That's not a bad option.  Ayyyohhhhh!
5. Make fun plans for this weekend or next weekend or every weekend and have great things to look forward to.  Trust me, this works wonders.

Anyway y'all.  I just wanted to take a quick breather from the dark and dreary places we find ourselves in these looonnnnng Winter months to say... the sun really WILL come up soon.  Maybe not tomorrow.  But soon.  And if you're surprised at how dark and sad and lonely you feel this time of year, just be comforted in knowing you're not alone.  And it makes perfect sense.  Our bodies just need a little extra TLC to deal with the natural mood-boosters we're lacking.  So be good to yourself.  Be kind to yourself.  Listen to yourself.  Don't pretend like you're fine when you're not, because that just leads to darker, drearier, dreadful places where you don't want to be.  Feel the way you feel, listen to your realistic bummer moods, and then do something about it.

And listening to this song can't hurt...

Today's jam: "Shuffle" by Bombay Bicycle Club

Be back again soon!
(I'm REALLY going to try to make that true)