Right "Depression" by Alessandra Martin (High School Collection)January. Next Monday - January 22nd is calculated to be the most miserable day of this calendar year - at least in the northern hemisphere. This is the trough between Christmas festivities and the brightness of the coming Spring. The mornings are as dark as the evenings. It's cold. Rain lashes down. Dank dead leaves lie slowly rotting in windswept corners. At work, the corners of people's mouthes turn downwards. Some cough. Some speak grimly of post-Christmas diets - punishment for all that happy excess. Ian's friend Ben has just found out he is about to be made redundant with the closure of the "Musiczone" chain of shops. In our street, a water pipe burst - creating a little stream that ran down the hill for three long weeks till Yorkshire Water finally deigned to send their "task force". Now there's a big hole and mud and a "Men at Work" warning sign. Welcome to January.
At New Year many people make resolutions but by the third week of darkest January, many of those resolutions have been broken. The nicotine patches have been abandoned and drinkers "on the wagon" have generally returned to the bottle in moments of weakness or depression. Many people start to feel like failures because they couldn't keep up their resolve. And summer days - picnics, eating out, barbecues, beach holidays, coatless rambles, pub garden gatherings etc. all seem so far away. Everything can seem grey and colourless.
At New Year many people make resolutions but by the third week of darkest January, many of those resolutions have been broken. The nicotine patches have been abandoned and drinkers "on the wagon" have generally returned to the bottle in moments of weakness or depression. Many people start to feel like failures because they couldn't keep up their resolve. And summer days - picnics, eating out, barbecues, beach holidays, coatless rambles, pub garden gatherings etc. all seem so far away. Everything can seem grey and colourless.
It's a time not to give in to the blues but to fight aginst those grey, gloomy feelings. Be kind to somebody. Help them out. Treat yourself or your family - perhaps to a nice meal out. Go for a vigorous walk because exercise is surely just about the best way of defeating those January blues.
I kind of like this time of year, but then, I live in the land of eternal sunshine. Gray, misty days with rain can become, after awhile, a welcome respite.
ReplyDeleteRent some movies. When I'm depressed I watch Citizen Kane. Or my old Second City tapes. Their continuing soap opera, THE DAYS OF THE WEEK rarely fails to cheer me up. That or THIS IS SPINAL TAP.
As a sufferer of clinical depression, I know exactly the feelings you described in this post.
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year, I'd love to be able to take in my favourite hiking trails at Cypress Provincial park, but unfortunately, all the trails are snowed in and inaccessible to Hikers till late May at the earliest.
Mind, everywhere is the same right now with all the snow we've had.
Hmmm. January 22 is my 36th birthday. I was going to give the whole thing a miss this year.
ReplyDeletethe 22 is my husband's birthday.
ReplyDeletethere was a half an inch of ice on the chicken trough this morning.. alot for
round here.
I'm comitting suicide on the 22nd. I was going to try the 'waiting for old age' route untill I read this,although I don't think I'm bringing things forward that much. You're all invited. It's B.Y.O razor blade. The more the merrier!
ReplyDeleteExercise, guitar, and vitamin D supplements are how I deal with the blues in the Land of Liquid Sunshine.
ReplyDeleteArthur.. what if we don't want to use razor blades....?? will you have alternatives?
ReplyDeleteit's a themed party- if you want to hang yourself organise your own.
ReplyDeleteNot ANONYMOUS - Actually it is YP posing as such....
ReplyDeleteNow stop all this talk about death you guys! I don't wish to be responsible for a mass blogicide! But if you do decide to go please may I have your bank details and PIN!
I keep drinking malted milk trying to drive my blues away.
ReplyDeleteArthur, have a light box party instead!
ReplyDelete