Beating Winter Blues

Of all the colors of the rainbow, do you see only in shades of blues? The winter blues are often talked about this time of year. It may seem even bluer this year with the economy the way it is and with job losses. I don't know much about the economy or how to find a job right now, but I do know a bit about fighting sadness and the dark times of the soul.

When it comes to depression, I've been in the battle with it most of my life. Here's what I've gathered about the subject at this point in my life. The change starts with me. It can be all too easy to slip into sadness if I react to life as a spectator on the sidelines watching life happen to me. It takes becoming a "pro" at being "active" in my own life or "proactive" to keep from sinking into the quicksand of doom and gloom.

This is not to say I have mastered this concept. I would be lying if I said that I always confront my depression head on. Many times I still find myself wallowing in the self-pity and sadness trap. This is not to speak of more serious clinical depression. But sometimes when I only see gray skies, I hire out a hall, blow up my pity party balloons, put up dark streamers, throw dark confetti, and wallow in my pity party of one. Even though it's been said that "misery loves company," nobody likes to hang out with gloomy people who serve "whine" instead of wine as refreshment at their party!

So how do I combat the pity party of one, sadness, and doom and gloom? Here's one answer: There is one thing some people close to me often tell me. It should be burned into my brain by now or written backwards across my forehead so I can see it in the mirror. It's that I am happiest when I'm productive.

I gain a sense of well-being and contentment when I distract myself from stewing in negative thinking by getting myself in motion. When I earn a "good" kind of tired (not the weary kind from laboring at work in a mentally draining job or situation) by doing something positive it creates contentment and brings me peace. When I do something constructive like cleaning for example, I may not like starting it but once it's done and I can look at the beauty I create by doing something I feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I'm not saying that it's easy to start but inertia does work!

One suggestion to get over procrastination a friend gave me is to start a timer for say 15 or 20 minutes and just do something. Perhaps you have to do list that you've been meaning to get to, go through your list at random and pick one thing, anything, just take action for the timed period when you start to feel low. By checking off something off your list, you gain marvelous tangible results and it does wonders for your well-being. I'm not saying I've mastered this either. It does sound good in theory and it will work if you put the time in but even I in saying this know I tend to forget these kinds of insights.

Most people like to feel needed. When we have no purpose it's a wonder anyone gets out of bed in the morning except out of necessity for survival. When I find a need only I can fill, I find a place of peace in filling it if I know that it's part of my purpose. I still need reminders myself though in this area as well.

Some final thoughts on emotions. Emotions that lead to sadness and dissatisfaction with life start in our thinking process. What we think about and dwell on forms our emotions that lead to our actions in the choices we make. In a way, our destiny and our whole lives as we know it stem from our thought patterns and the state of our minds. If we plant good seeds of positive thoughts in the garden of our minds, water them with encouraging words, shine the sunlight of rays of warm thoughts and weed out the negative mind sets, it can go a long way in reaping a harvest of joy. And in doing that, the only blues you will see are clear blue skies.