February is that difficult month: coming off the high of the festive season of January when receiving the monthly bills; snowdrops showing their spring faces but the days still dark and long; not to mention the weather on a last gasp winter chill. No wonder then that February is a month that we find ourselves battling with the blues.
Your blues might not be about the lack of motivation but more about lack of sunshine. There is a syndrome known as S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder where people are badly affected by lack of sunlight. Bright light affects levels of serotonin, a chemical that is linked to helping create ‘feel good’ moods. It is also thought that in some people the production of melatonin levels are also affected in the winter months, slowing down the body clock, affecting sleeping patterns and mood.
The Spring Bulb Philosophy
There is no mystery to the fact that bulbs appear as the daylight improves and the sunlight hours increase. So if you’re struggling with resolutions and the physical act of making changes perhaps your time is best spent reflecting and preparing for change instead.
Review your progress and spend some time refining what you are aiming for. Recommit to those goals you have identified as the priority.
Buy any equipment or resources that you might need. Having everything there at your fingertips as soon as you feel more energetic and enthusiastic means that the action can be instant.
Prepare any people/ children/ relationships for any upcoming changes that might affect them. You will be less likely to meet with resistance if they are aware of what is going to happen and can prepare for it.
Spring bulbs know their purpose and have that as their complete focus, biding their time through the depths of winter until conditions are right for them to make their move and shine in the sun.
Tips and Hints for Beating the Blues
Along with the possible affects of SAD, it is not surprising to experience a dip in enthusiasm and motivation during this time of year - we have spent some hard weeks trying to follow our resolutions, perhaps only with slight change; we are settled well into our usual routine for the year, which is stretching out before us and we find that it is much easier to slip back into bad habits.
- Follow the light
Get outside into natural light as much as you can, whenever you can. If the sun is out, even better- get out in it as much as possible. Sit near a window when you are inside. Eat well and exercise.
- Feel the fear
Worried that you will fail can be paralyzing, if you’re not aware of where it comes from and how it’s affecting you. Look at your fear as an entry in an ‘Agony Aunt’ column: how paralyzing does it seem now? By getting some distance from it, your rational perspective improves and you are able to see a solution easier.
- Focus on in-flight instructions
Remember the airline oxygen mask analogy if you’re feeling guilty spending the time and energy on yourself. This personal time and change will benefit those around you as you become happier, more balanced and fulfilled.
- Find the motivation factor
It might be that you work best if you have some peer pressure motivating you or perhaps the end reward of a holiday in the sun is what will drive you through the low points. Whatever it is make sure you set it in concrete and keep that as your focus.
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