Am travelling in Europe at the moment and for the past few weeks, have been adjusting to the shorter days and cold. Some days better than others.
Then yesterday morning, I woke up with a new frame of mind. Told myself that I was going to soak in and enjoy the beauty of winter. Got dressed warmly and stepped out to enjoy the snow.
Just like that, I found myself looking forward to the day even when the sun set at 3 plus in the afternoon.
Instead of complaining about cold, I focused on the goodness of this season. To open up my senses to soak in the purity of the whiteness around me, the camaraderie of fellow people out in the cold, how lovely the hot soup tasted, the smell and sound of the logs burning in the fireplace, the many blessings that we enjoy being in a warm home with warm clothes and rejoice when the sun decides to grace us with its golden rays.
All I needed was an attitude adjustment.
If the change in seasons affect you greatly with you feeling down for days at a time and can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, please consult your health care provider. You may be suffering from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. It begins and ends at about the same times every year. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.