How are you holding up my friend?
This can be a difficult time of year for some folks, I feel a bit of it myself. The weather is colder, the holidays have passed and you might be struggling with those new year’s resolutions.
I read something this week that said most people give up on those resolutions by January 12th. I’m not sure how they came up with that date but it doesn’t surprise me.
Here’s a hint: try again! I’ll never forget when I tried to quit smoking for the Great American Smoke one year. I quit for the day but then lit up the next morning. I felt so guilty about that and I was depressed when I went into work. My friend Greg Evans said, “Well if it bothers you that much, quit again? Set a time: As of noon, quit again.” I did and I’m happy to say that was 27 years ago. If you fell off the “resolution wagon,” try again . Set a goal for Monday or next month or whatever works for you.
For years I did stories about S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder. There are more than 3 million cases a year. People suffer with fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. It usually strikes at about the same time every year, fall or winter, and is traced to the lack of daylight. In severe cases you should talk to your doctor.
It can be a difficult time when the weather is cold or icy and cabin fever sets in. I just try to occupy my time by reading more or watching movies I’ve always wanted to see. Cooking some new meals or desserts can be fun but you don’t want to add to a possible winter weight gain.
I find one of the biggest things to help is to get out and interact with others or have them over to visit if you’d rather not drive on snow or ice. Sometimes we can get all wrapped up in our own lives and it’s refreshing to hear someone else’s story.
I had a very interesting conversation the other day in a waiting room. (Interesting stories, I’ve learned, are everywhere. You just have to have an open mind.)
I was at Hawthorne Medical this week waiting for a prescription to be filled. The pharmacist said it would be about 20 minutes so I decided to wait since I was in Dartmouth and everything else I had to do was in Fairhaven. I went to sit down and, being the typical American, I pulled out my phone to check Facebook. The only seat available was next to this lovely lady who must of been in her late 60s or early 70s. I’ll give her the credit, she started the conversation but I decided to put my phone away and chat. I could have been rude but decided not to.
She noticed my sneakers and asked me what kind they were and we began a conversation about having good shoes to walk in; how she went out without having her morning coffee (I told her I was impressed); and how Hawthorne should have their own coffee kiosk (they’d make a killing!) We talked about how cold it was and how she had bought her daughters new scarves for Christmas but they never wore them. Before I knew it, my 20 minutes were up and my prescription was ready. I wished her a happy new year and headed out. That felt so good to get out of my own little world and see what someone else was doing.
I read an article recently (Yeah, I read a lot) about how people, especially older folks, who have a close group of friends or even one good friend tend to live longer than people that don’t. Friendship can increase a person’s sense of purpose.
As I said, I found it nice just to get out of my own world and learn about someone else.
So get out there and open up. When was the last time you went to church or saw your church family? If you can’t get out, pick up the phone and call, text or email. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, or said, “I meant to call but I’ve been so busy.”
Make the time and before you know it…… it just might be Spring!
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