Firstly thank you for the positive feedback on my 'Man up' blog, I'm so pleased people found it thought provoking and in the manner I had intended.
Yes a bit like GOT winter is coming! I'm already feeling a great deal of trepidation for the months ahead. I definitely would not have made a Stark!!
It's mainly previous years' experience which is making me fearful, in particular last year, which was the worst period of anxiety I have ever experienced.
I was diagnosed with Season Affective Disorder (SAD) in my very early 20s. So this time of year I always dread.
More about SAD can be found here:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/#.W5o9Ps5KiUk
I fear the short days and long dark nights. I find getting up in the morning excruciatingly difficult, I have no energy and struggle to do the basic of tasks. For the past 15 years I have tried all sorts of coping mechanisms to get me through winter, some successful some not so.
One of the more successful actions has to be a light box which is designed to replicate sunlight. I have been using a light box for a number of years for about 20 minutes each morning. I also have a lightbox on my desk at work for the office dullness. I have already started 'topping up' with the light box this year already. The other thing I find very useful is a dawn simulation alarm clock. This does as it says really, it replicates the sun coming up and gradually gets brighter over a 30 minute period in the mornings. Despite these things I still struggle with the mornings, they aren't a miracle cure but do seem to help marginally.
For more on SAD Light boxes, see the below:
http://www.sad.org.uk/sad-light-work/
This will be the first winter without anti-depressants too, so I guess I am just fearful of the unknown. I can't quite pinpoint why I don’t like winter....I love cold, bright, crisp, snowy days but loath the dark, wet, dull days. I'm looking out the window at the time of writing this and it's dull and gloomy and I could quite happily grab my quilt and go back to bed with a book and a ton of gluten and diary free snacks!!
So what else am I doing to combat the impending winter.....
Exercise....I have been pretty limited of late as a result of suspected whooping cough and a chest infection but my goal is to enter a 5km race at the beginning of November. By actually entering a race means I am committed and normally spurs me on to do some training. The Dr is advising I start real slow again, like couch to 5km... run for 1 minute walk for a few minutes to see how I get on.
Joining the choir....I contacted the new choir in June to join for this term but now the time has come around to start I am already feeling nervous about it. I know it will be good for me to go and I'll love it but it's that initial going and getting through the door. Also we have discovered that since being ill with the whooping cough, my voice has changed. Having done some research, this appears common in whooping cough sufferers, and it may resolve itself over time or I may be stuck with a very limited singing capacity. If this is the case gone are my days of solos. However this will not impede my participating in the choir, I just think for the first time ever I'll be singing Alto and not Mezzo Soprano.
Furry Friend....It's been well over a year since we had Spooky our indoor, deaf, white cat put to sleep. Spooky was very special who felt he was more human than cat. He had a unique boisterous personality but went on to develop what the Vets think was some form of neurological disorder. The decision to have Spooky put to sleep, as whenever you have to make this decision on behalf of a beloved animal, was gut wrenching. We were both left with physical and mental scars from this time. As such it has taken a long time to even contemplate getting another animal. We'd been casually perusing rehoming sites recently, I definitely had decided we wanted to do the right thing and rehome an older cat. We then found Jazz a 15 year old cat who was found as a stray, chipped but her owner had not come forward. Jazz has been at the amazing Hollyhedge animal Sanctuary since February 2017!! We decided to go to Hollyhedge to look at the cattery, wow this place broke and stole my heart all at the same time. We meet some of the other cats and got to spend some time in Jazz's pen. You can tell Jazz has been in a pen for a while I guess she was a little institutionalised, she certainly let us know when the strokes got too much. Hubby and I exchanged that knowing look, that we just could not leave that old girl in there to see out her days. We reserved her, had the home visit and Jazz is coming to live with us on Saturday. Jazz has a heart condition and thyroid issues and given her age, I'm realistic that we may only offer her a warm comfortable home for a short time. However at least she'll be loved and I'm hoping she will keep me company during the long dark nights when I am on my own in the evenings.
Whether you are a SAD sufferer like me, or just don’t like the winter maybe now's the time to start putting things in place to help to see you through the winter (this is the part I put a disclaimer in about thinking long and hard about getting a pet. I'm not advocating getting a pet as a cure for SAD obviously, although I'm well aware there is a case for pets being therapeutic of course...you know what they say ...not just for Christmas and all that). If you want some suggestions please see the link below on other useful self-help tips.
https://www.blurtitout.org/2016/10/21/getting-through-winter-sad-seasonal-affective-disorder/
I shall provide a little cat update next time. As ever big love N x
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