I am trying to work on a positive attitude, but I confess this is my least favorite time of year. It’s cold, and grey, and the sun goes down too early.
The holidays are over: no more lights, decorations, parties.
Walking home is less likely (see above), so I get less fresh air and exercise.
Since it is dark and cold, evenings are spent indoors, usually watching TV or movies. No outings for me, as I am a responsible worker who has early office hours.
Work is a challenge too, as influenza and other viruses show up. My hours have stretched pretty late in the past few weeks.
Not to mention that with the turn of the year, we get to play the ridiculous formulary game with insurers. If you are a PCP, you know what I am talking about: the 2019 insulin is no good, you have to switch your patients to another brand (possibly the brand that was favored in 2018, then declined last year).
With all this… not-joy, figuring out how to take care of myself constructively has been a little more challenging.
Eating tons of junk food and spending money to buy toys are time-proven ways to raise endorphins quickly, but the after-effects are usually pretty ugly. I usually end up gaining weight that won’t go away, and then any clothing I’ve bought doesn’t fit well anymore. Toys become clutter quicker than I could have imagined.
At the end of a busy few days, I’m realizing that exercising indoors will have to be a goal for the next 6 to 8 weeks. Weight training, for sure, was a huge help yesterday in lifting my mood (well, considering how grumpy I was before starting, anything would have been an improvement). Yoga class with my buddies would be great if our schedules align, and maybe a return to swimming on the weekends (we’ll see).
Reading more helps too. Though, when I am feeling blah, I usually stick to re-reading favorite books. I need the guaranteed emotional pick-me-up from books I’ve read and loved before.
As for work, I’m trying to remain positive by focusing on wins. I had 2 very pleasant patient visits this week, and I put them down in my good-things diary. It sounds hokey, but if something good happens, I try to write it down in a daily planner I get every year. It’s helpful on days when I feel like everything has gone wrong, and then I can look over some of my wins. Honestly, just writing down the good stuff (rather than the daily drudgery) helps me change the focus of my day.
What are your tricks to getting through the dark days of winter?