Being SAD During the Winter Months

[cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]The past few years I have found it hard to stay motivated during the winter months. With the cold days and long nights I find it hard to stay focused on the tasks I need to complete. A lot of times what should take only a few hours end up taking a week to finish. It begs the questions, am I just SAD during the winter months?

In case you have not heard of SAD it stands for seasonal affective disorder. The May Clinic defines SAD as

“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.”

I try to steer clear of the self diagnosis craze and do not proclaim that is my condition during the winter months. What I do know is that during the winter months I do not get as much accomplished as I do when the days are warmer and the daylight is longer.

I struggle with staying motivated during these cold days and long nights. Many times I have to pull from my motivational reserves just to clean the house like I need to. Many more times I try to put out of my mind that I do not feel like doing this or that and just work on completing it. I do not focus on how long it is taking, I simply get to whatever task I have at hand and work on it. It is a type of focus that requires some effort and practice but slowly and surely I get things done.

One of the best motivators for me is knowing this time of the year is slowly getting behind us. Much like when I ran the marathon, what started as 26.2 miles became just 20 miles left, just 10 miles left, just 6 miles left – those miles I had ran were done, I no longer had to run them. So we no longer have to go through the month of December, it is over. We no longer have to see minutes of daylight going away, we are past the winter solstice, days are now getting longer. Soon we will have more hours of daylight than night, and that is an encouraging thought. I know this may sound dramatic but I have learned that we each have to do what we have to do to push forward toward our good goals.

What about you, do you get SAD during the winter months? I am right with you if you do. Staying motivated during this time of year can be difficult but we can and will get through it. Spring is just around the corner, warmer weather is coming, the days are getting longer, just a little while longer – we got this.

Attempt it. Chance it. Try it. Get to It![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section]