Dealing with Depression

To be free of destructive stress don't sweat the small stuff and by realizing that . . . all stuff is small.
Author Unknown

December is Seasonal Depression Awareness month and with the shortest days of the year falling in December, this is the peak time for Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD

My wife Barbie and I have come up with a good way of working through SAD, we know it’s coming, and we know we need to prepare for it, the cold weather and a change in daylight triggers a sort of thought process that we have come to understand well enough to not get to upset when it sets in. We realize like many animals that we share this earth with winter is completely different than spring, summer and even fall, and because of this it needs to be approached with a completely different focus.

When the weather changes we know we are also in for some changes both physically, and mentally and after many years of struggling have learned to compare those changes to what many animals do when they see and feel this seasonal change “Hibernate”.

Now please understand there are different types of hibernation, I’m not saying we are like the Big Brown Bats that fatten up and sleep from October until April, or like the Woodland Frog that finds shelter under leaves and dirt during the winter and freeze only to thaw out and wake up in the spring, or even like a ladybug that spends the winter in a state of sleep known as diapause.

No my friend this is what is called a True Hibernation and as much as I would love to fall asleep one month and wake up months later, I don’t see me being able to keep my kids and grandkids away that long, and I like food to much to miss that many meal. Think about it, that would mean eating enough at Thanksgiving to be able to sleep until Easter. . . don’t think so, not going to happen

No, our version of hibernation is more like the "Torpor" type, our body temperature goes down so we cover ourselves with layers of clothing our heart rate slows down because we are much less active (lots of time spent on the couch in the den watching reruns and napping) but unlike some hibernators we are able to wake up, move around some and the most important part we can eat a snack every so often, we have found keeping a black berry pie available on the counter an important part of our Winter Hibernation Ritual or WHR as we like to call it.

Most people think of the Bear any time you talk about hibernating, as the cold months set in bears go into their dens to wait out the ugly winter. Mostly sleeping during this time they will however wake up and move around, but (and this is a real important issue) they rely on the fat they stored earlier way back in the Fall, no no I think not, not my style at all. I personal like being compared with the Richardson Ground Squirrel instead of the Bear.

This little guy has the right idea of just how to spend the cold winter months, first thing I like is that as the weather changes he sends his children out to bring in the necessary food they will need. Instead of deep deep sleep he will wake up and walk around his den making sure his stuff is OK. And, the most important part of his winter ritual is that he makes sure to eat a little snack every so often, obviously to maintain a minimal amount of strength and energy. Now my friends that’s much more my style.

But the truth be told, it doesn’t matter what your style is during the WINTER month. I think the following is important to understand. Your NOT suppose to get as much done during this time of year, so stop worrying about it. Winter is different than the other three seasons, and there is a time of year when you are expected to slow down and go about your day with a different type of energy, it’s OK that you don’t get as much accomplished during the winter season.

So, with this information maybe you can look at winter from a different perspective than in the past, because stuff will always be there and our stuff is only as big as we make it.