February

In only 8 more days it will be March! Spring will be near, the clocks will go ahead bringing us more daylight in the evenings, and everyone will start to feel better about life. But now? Now it’s February. For years February has been a bad month for me. It is for a lot of people. The dragging-on of winter storms, frigid temps, and darkness brings many of us into perpetual gloom. I used to psych myself up that “this year will be different! I will somehow avoid the winter blues and have an awesome February!”

I’m still waiting for that to happen.

A couple of years ago I decided that, instead of going into another February in denial, I was going to own it for what it was. And it has made all the difference. I wanted to pass on what I’ve learned about conquering this stupid month, in the hopes that it will be helpful.

1) Acknowledge it for what it is.
February is dumb. It’s dark and it’s cold and it sucks. Tons of people deal with “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)” during this time. When I’m having a SAD day, I feel either depressed or irritated or defeated. And then I say (out loud) “it’s February”. Not to use it as an excuse necessarily… but just to affirm that, yup, it’s February, and so I’m going to be feeling off more than normal. I am not broken and it won’t always be this way. It’s February. Own it.

2) Take care of yourself.
Sleep for 8 hours every night, eat healthy, get some exercise (I have not done well at this last one). Whenever I am over-tired or under-nourished everything seems worse. This is true all the time but especially in February. Do all you can to keep your body in tip-top shape. Your mental health is so closely linked to your physical health and sleep patterns… I have learned this the hard way!

3) Treat yourself.
I am very type-A. I have a chore list that buzzes on my phone when it’s time to clean a certain part of the house. I have a budget for the amount of coffee stops I can take and how many times I am “allowed” to eat out. I have gotten very good at following this, and have regained control of my money through budgeting! However, I have learned that, in February, I have to cut myself some slack. Some mornings I feel like I can’t move, but if I let myself go to Tim’s on the way to work, that will entice me enough to get going. Sometimes after work I am so cranky and tired that I just want to get McDonalds (which I sometimes haven’t budgeted for). But I’ll do it if it means it will improve my mood. Sometimes, I mute the housework reminder and instead watch a movie and eat popcorn. I used to get mad at myself if I did these things, which would then make me feel even worse. In February, I let them go. Sometimes you just have to make sure you make it in one piece, and giving in to some of the “time wasters” or overspending on a “treat” is actually worth it for the sake of your sanity.

So that’s how I get through this stupid month! Remember these tips next February. :) And hey — it’s almost SPRING!!!!