Winter Doldrums

There are many of us for whom the Winter is hard.  The days are short, cold and dark. We are probably inside more, seeing the sun less, and less active.  These things can exacerbate or even resurrect mood symptoms that are challenging. Let’s take a few minutes today to talk about how Winter doldrums impact creative people.

We already know that creative people feel things deeply.  That means  you may feel the onset of a wintertime depression strongly.  Creatives- something to remember when you are feeling intense emotions- an engine cannot run on full blast indefinitely.  That is to say- the more intense your feelings, the shorter the duration: depressed mood is a wave that will crest and fall.  I’m not minimizing the experience or telling you you will wake up one morning “all better.”  I am saying stick-and-stay, practice good self care, be around your support system, and know that the pain will naturally ease up on its own a little bit- quicker, better and more completely the better you take care of yourself in the interim. 

My clinical advice for the Winter doldrums: Dig the hole.  Many of you have received this advice from me. Advice that another clinician gave me years ago, I pass along as sound counsel for fighting depression.  It is referencing a person whose job it is to dig a hole. Professional hole digger. All this person has to do is show up to work, and the hole gets dug.  If the worker doesn’t show up, it doesn’t get dug.  This is the attitude we need when symptoms seem overwhelming.  Ride the wave. Go through the motions.  The more you can stick to your regular routine, implement your usual supports and coping skills and self care, the better you will be for it.  I know when you are depressed it takes monumental effort to tie a shoe string.  But do it.  Go to work.  Get to school.  Get the kids. Get and do whatever you would usually do- dig the hole. 

Need more support? Add therapy to help you through this Winter.  It’s natural and healthy to add to your support system to counter-balance stressors, and Creatively is here for you.

And- don’t forget- 2 art workshops are available at Root Studio (starting soon!) scroll down to previous blog entries for details and offset your doldrums by boosting your creative energy.

(C) 2018 Creatively, LLC


Dreaming