Skip to main content

Year Four, Day 100: S.A.D.

WOW! What a glorious day!  The sunshine feels like it is permeating my soul!

On days like this after a long, cold, dark winter, I wonder if I am yet another sufferer of S.A.D. Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Unless you've been living under a rock (and that would be depressing), you have probably heard of it.  Here is a blurb from the Mayo Clinic:

"Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), medications and psychotherapy.
Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.


Symptoms

In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.
Signs and symptoms of SAD may include:

  • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Having low energy
  • Having problems with sleeping
  • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
  • Feeling sluggish or agitated
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty 
  • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide"  
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

I find it interesting that a smaller number of people have symptoms that begin in spring in summer.   think my moods have flipped! I used to get depressed on sunny days. Especially hot summer days. I would prefer the rain. I could breathe and felt energized. And it also made me feeling like curling up inside with a good book and cup of tea.  Most comforting!

Maybe I have indeed completely gone through "the change" (which began in my early 40's. Sorry if that is TMI, but so glad to be through with those hot flashes!) I really don't mind the rain, but the cold and the darkness had chilled my very soul, to use the soul analogy again.

I have experienced all of the above symptoms, aside from suicidal thoughts. I have too much love for my family and friends to ever contemplate that!

Needless to say, I am having a very good day today. Yesterday was good too! I spent most of the day with my daughter and granddaughter. We went to lunch, cleaned and then went to my great niece's 4th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.  We had a blast!  And of course, my darling granddaughter wanted nothing to do with Mr. Chuck E Cheese.  Big scary rat that he is!  But we had a hard time getting her off of the carousel. She kept saying "more" and then sitting on the little horse, giving us a princess wave every time she came around.  So precious is this age. She is now 18 months.

After the party they dropped me off at the gym. I had a nice, low impact bike and easy weight workout followed by a steam room session.

I slept like a log and popped up this morning, with cleaning and purging unneeded items on my mind. Must be spring cleaning fever!  I even got a little hoop workout in.

I'm still doing my breathing exercises. I must admit I was a little wheezy and winded this morning.  Possibly allergies since spring is in the air.  But whats a little wheezing when the weather is so dang gorgeous?!

On that note, I must head out to teach piano. (Pun intended!)

Happy Sunny Monday!

Talk to you tomorrow.

Love,

Zita




p.s. Here is today's hooping video. Day 10. I hope to start hooping outside in the park soon!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Year Three, Day 58: Marilyn Monroe's Measurements

Day 24 of daily hooping. I am determined to shrink these abs, if it is the last thing I do! Perhaps I should have that written on my tombstone: "Here lies Zita". Flat abs at last!! Well I certainly hope to attain my flat abs goal BEFORE I am dead and gone! Today's video was another rush job. But I downloaded some fun tunes to my Kindle last night.  I enjoyed my hoop session more listening to the Punjabi music. It reminded me of the "Maritime Bhangra Dancers".  If you haven't heard of them, you should look them up. They never fail to put a smile on my face! I am not smiling so much looking at this video. My hooping skills have improved a bit, but that menopot has got to go! After my hoop session, I walked 3/4 mile to the bus stop. I was planning on attending the 10:00 a.m. Mass at the Grotto, but it was cutting it close. Plus, I was feeling the need for a Starbucks iced tea.  Today was Iced Passionfruit/Black Tea, no sugar whatsoever.   The ic...

Year Two, Day 274: I Like Me. RIP Packy!

Today's fruit of the spirit that I am focusing on is patience.  This I need more of. And coincidentally (or not), I read in my book Challenge: A Daily Meditation Program Based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius by Mark Link, S.J. the following: "I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, 'No.' He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation. It isn't granted, it is earned." Well, not to sound smug, but I am certainly earning my patience award!  :) I am having a good day, however I am a bit over caffeinated. I earned (patiently lol) a free latte today at Starbucks.  On a side note, I love being a regular customer. I walked into my regular Starbucks today, and one of the barista's yelled, "Zita!" from across the room. I felt like I was in an episode of "Cheers"! I love being recognized in a friendly manner. I had a venti "Smoked Butterscotch Latte with soy".   I have found the per...

Year Two, Day 201: "I"

Before my first meeting with "I" I had a wonderful first date last night! We had a lot on common. The conversation flowed easily. We laughed. It was so lovely, that I think I shall not blog about him. Not yet anyway. I am just going to call him "I". I like I. 😉 Today was a long, wonderful family day. Went to church with my daughter and son-in-law. Very powerful, uplifting service. After that we went to the horse races. Had a blast. Broke even. Essentially had a free lunch and four hours of entertainment. After the horses, we had yet another Thanksgiving dinner at my niece's place. It was her first turkey. It was amazing! But thank God I had enough willpower to resist the pie! Tomorrow I go for my first physical therapy appointment. Tuesday it is back to the gym!! Happy Sunday!