Intentionally Alone

Avoid SAD by being intentionally alone this winter

Effectively, that shallow, but still hollow feeling you might get once a year— especially in the cold winter months — very well could be classified as seasonal affective disorder.

"Disorder" is just a fun word that suggests things are out of order. Perchance you relate to this article and only take away from it the possibility that you have a "disorder" — you may — but for the sake of being productive human beings, let's call it an "inclination."

Like me, you may have an inclination towards feeling blue like that Lake Michigan sky in my photo above around late November, or maybe even sooner. For me, I begin writing philosophical poems about entropy and divine nature around November 10, when the colors are at their most vibrant. There's something about the dread of winter months and that dreary isolation to the indoors, if you're like me and have never skied or gone snowboarding.

If you're also like me, you live in a place like Michigan and think about places like Florida often. If you're REALLY like me, that inclination toward feeling down and like you want to be alone but you don't know why is strong as soon as the first snow sets in.

Here's a list of reassurances:

1. You're not alone in feeling lonely, or sleepy, or like life is just a disappointment. That's the winter blues talking. If you're feeling this way all the time, or year round, you may want to skip to the next list.
2. SAD or WBI (Winter Blues Inclination) is normal. You're actually missing Vitamin D from the sunlight that you're also missing.
3. You can help yourself feel better.

Here's a list of things Winter Blues Inclination is not:

1. Diagnosable as major depression.

First and foremost, if you can pass an online quiz, such as the one below, with a score that's 20 points or closer to 50, talk to someone who can help. Even if you don't score that close to 50, but want someone's help, that's the best way you can help yourself.

2. Seasonal affective disorder or winter blues inclination is not severe enough to be treated with medicine such as antidepressants.

3. Anxiety. If you feel anxious, or have physiological changes such as a racing heart or a sweat that isn't temperature induced, you should see a doctor.

How to Help Yourself:

1. Go to the grocery store and buy yourself some Vitamin D and Orange Juice with Vitamin D. If you drink milk or use it in your cereal, purchase Vitamin D fortified milk.
2. Cut out sugar and bread, which cause your stomach to be confused about how full you actually are. You'll sleep better, too, and you won't feel nearly as sluggish.
3. Exercise alone or with friends. I find I don't have a lot of motivation to exercise alone frequently, so I like to have someone to exercise with to motivate me.
4. Go be intentionally alone. In your room is not the answer. Go drive to some place. Enjoy the quiet mixed with the sound of the road, and dwell on things like the weather until you're ready to break down your stressors.

Go to the bookstore, surround yourself with stacks of books and just keep flipping till you're distracted or taught a lesson from some author.

Go see a movie at the theatre by yourself (it's really quite an empowering, personal growth-promoting experience. When you're down, giving yourself confidence is key. Choose the movie carefully, though. Go see something funny. I tried to do this after a breakup and ended up seeing something romantic that had me crying during the opening credits. It was the opposite of empowering.

At the end of it all, know that something is causing you to feel down, and that something is most likely your own thought process combined with other factors, such as a poor diet, a lack of exercise, and a lack of personal growth promoting experiences. You can't work or study all the time, just like we can't play video games all the time. Too much of anything is not good.

At the same time, life is far from containable. If you try to force a brain like yours to mold to a rigid routine this winter, with no spontaneity or time to arouse your passions with hobbies you love, you'll find yourself inclined to the Winter Blues every single year at the exact same time.

So don't wait till New Years to make a resolution, and don't wait till someone picks you out of your slump. Sleeping all the time and working all the time are not solutions.

If you think you are prone to Seasonal Affective Depression, do something about it. Be proactive. Be conscious and take control of your will. You are the commander of your coping. 😈

Happy Holidays,

guidance and philosophy,

~Meg