It's Always Sunny In?

The first snow is always so exciting and beautiful, but now that the magic of the holidays are over, this part of winter becomes a big bucket of suck.  January and February, with not a lot to look forward to, feels longer than all the other months combined.  I have to admit that I am one of the ones that, on the 95 degree August day, blurted out "I can't wait for winter".  Um, be careful what you wish for, that's all I have to say.  Sure, there's Valentine's day this time of year, but if you don't have someone special to cuddle with, it actually brings you down even more.  And don't get me started on Groundhog's day... someone needs to play a game of Whack-a-Mole on that buck-toothed bitch... 6 more weeks of winter, my ass.  Being off from my deck building business for several months until the thaw, I try to get away in the beginning of December and try to take another trip some time later in January to break it up into smaller, more easily-digested bites.  Still, it's always a bitter pill to swallow.  With the wind nipping at your nose, you don't want to leave the house and then cabin fever sets in... and along with it comes the winter blues and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Pittsburgh, as beautiful as it is, only gets an average of 59 days of sun and 103 that are partly-sunny, for a total of 162... which isn't even half the year.  In winter, when the daylight is shorter and nights longer, your body has less exposure to sunlight and loses synchronization with the environment, tricking you into 'sleep mode'.  People afflicted with SAD may sleep an additional 4+ hours a day and fall into a depression.  For me, there's a shut-in effect as well and I feel claustrophobic, which is why I try to get out of the house daily, if only for a little while.  Having a ton of time on my hands at a time of the year when there's not that much to do is dangerous for me, so I try to keep a focus of some sort.  Some years I take on a part-time job or do projects for friends or, like this past year, I joined a great group on Meetup.com that does really fun and different things in my area.  There's a group for whatever interest you may have and, if not, you can start one.  Years ago, I started a kayaking group that now has 900+ members in it, although I don't organize that group any more.

Besides taking medications, which I hate to do, there's also phototherapy.  It's been proven that exposure to a light box (different than just a regular lamp) can reset the body's internal clock and replace the sun's natural light that you'd normally be getting outdoors.  It's also effective on some sleeping and skin disorders as well, since it doesn't contain the sun's damaging UV rays.  My friend, Robin, bought one for me a few years ago and the first time that I used it (for only 15 minutes), I felt a clearer, more alert feeling instantly... almost like a euphoric high.  It definitely changed my mood.  Its easy to have on while you are reading or watching TV and definitely uplifts you.

I'm not heading to Florida any time soon, and although it's been slightly colder down there, it would be great to put some shorts and flip-flops on and see things that are green again.  Instead, this year, I have altered my eating habits and started exercising, which should help lighten my mood and get me through until my season starts in March.  I'm sure that by July, I'll be wishing for winter again... and the cycle repeats.  Wait... is it Groundhog's Day?