Hey my friend, how’s it going. If you’re feeling a little bit blah this time of year you are not alone. In fact it was just Blue Monday this past week which is considered to be the most depressing day of the year EVEN THOUGH it was completely made up as a marketing thing. But still, this is sort of a down time of year for a lot of us.
And myself included, I’ve been feeling the blah lately. I’m doing the vitamin D and the SAD light and taking 5HTP, so I can’t imagine HOW i would be feeling if i werent doing those things but still, the blah is real. Work feels like a steep uphill climb, the motivation is tepid at best and when you work for yourself the majority of the time, I can’t afford to phone it in because I’m the one who pays for it when I do.
It’s a very tricky time of year. And the irony is that January is the normal time of year where we’re programmed to gogogo and be super productive with work and goals, but in reality, it’s the time of year where we should be hibernating and resting, and our body’s naturally feel that pull. So there’s this added disconnect that can make this time even trickier.
But if you are feeling the blahs, today I wanted to go over 3 things to consider that could help us feel a little less blahy, JUST A LITTLE, if we’re in the mood. Because this show is taking the the blah and the crap, letting it all out on the table, ackenowldeing it in all its crappy glory, and then taking a step or two to make it a little gooder.
So it’s al
SO - 3 things to consider. Because it is award season in hollywood and the term thrown around this time of year is, for your consideration. (Applause?)
Consideration 1: Don’t Postpone Contentment
A lot of us, on the best of days, tend to always be thinking ahead, working so we can have more down the road. It’s the - I’ll be happy WHEN x,y,z happens. And the irony is it just becomes a never ending hamster wheel where once we’ve achieved our goal, we’re just hungry for the next thing. And because we’re busy, and we live in a world that places overpriced value on productivity, we seldom take the time to be happy and be content with where we’re at at any given present moment.
That’s on the BEST of days. On these blah crap days, it’s a lot easier to see the glass as half empty, and it’s easier to be pessimsic. So, maybe, you’re grumpy with the way things are now, but because of the way our brains think, you know you have to put in the effort today in some form, so that you can be happy and content in the future when x,y,z happens, it’s just a bigger effort to put in because you don’t feel that productive.
But we know, because of the way we normally work, is that even when we get to that x,y, or z day in the future - where we got the raise, AND it’s a SUNNY summer day and we feel dont feel blah - chances are, on that perfect day, we’ll be thinking ahead and deciding what should come next. And postpone contentment again.
SO. I say this this to point out that even if it’s a blah day, like it might be today, it’s not a reason to not find contentment in this day, in where you are in life, in what your home is like. Chances are, even if it’s crummy outside and inside, chances are that you might look back on this time and this age, as being some of the best years of your life, and that you wish you savoured it more. Even IN the middle of Janaury.
So even through the blah feeling, find time to be content with yourself today. Even if its sitting down and turning on netflix at the end of the day with your pet or your family or just yourself, take a moment to breathe into it and slow that time down.
Things are better than you think, and don’t let this cloud of blah take that fact away from you.
Consideration 2: Support Serotonin production with Trypotophan and Carbs.
What can happen this time of year after the holidays food and drinking, is that we start to eat more quote on quote clean, and cut back on the carbs to shed pounds. But if your’re cutting back on carbs too much, it can really mess up your mood and serotonin levels, and one of the reasons is that carbs actually help you make use of the tryptophan you eat.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that serves as a precursor for serotonin, athat feelgood neurotransmitter that helps your mood and your sleep. But the thing is, tryptophan faces competition from other amino acids to enter the brain. Eating carbohydrates, triggers the release of insulin, which helps clear the way for tryptophan by directing other amino acids into muscles, leaving more tryptophan for the brain.
So for your mood - you want to make sure you’re getting enough protein in which will help ensure you’re getting some tryptophan - but its’ found highest in foods like turkey, tofu, salmon, eggs, pumpkin seeds -and to make the most of it, one or two meals or snacks out of the day, pair it with a carb - like sweet potatoes, swash, fruit, which will help potentially boost your serotonin production, helping you feel a little better.
We tend to crave more carbs this time of year anyways, but for your mood, you want to choose complex carbs like root veggies and whole rains over simple carbs like sweets which will only make you feel crummier long term.
But protein and carbs are a winning combo when it comes to mood.
Consideration 3 - consider The 3 M’s for this time of year
So these are my 3 ms that I like thinking of just as a reminder of what can help this time of year. They are. Move, Meditate, and monologue
Move - I know you know this, but exercise really can make a big difference to your mood, and it has been shown to help drastically improve symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. The trick is just starting, and getting motivated to start. Because some days it’s just easier to stay on the couch - but then you’re feel like even more crap tomorrow and the longer you stay sedentary. So think of how good you will feel AFTER you do something and use that as the motivating factor. Or try some other things that have been shown to work - put your workout clothes out eh night before where you can see them, place the running shoes in front of your door, or do an exercise that doesn’t feel like torutre, just add some dancing into your day day. It’s just that first little bit, once you start moving you eventually get into the rhythm. Granted some days you dont and it sucks, but you tried and that’s the win of that day.
2nd m is:
Meditate - there’s no wrong way to do it, there are many free apps now you can use, just be sure you stay consistent.
3rd M is:
Monologue - you want to talk it out. (I couldn't think of another M word for talking). We tent to keep things in and what happens is that this becomes this cloud and storm swirling around in your head. But it is SO important to get things out of your head and either onto paper and journal about it, write it out, or talk to people you trust. We’re humans, we need to be able to lean on each other. Because especially this time of year, if you tell a friend that you’re feeling a little blah, chances are high that they’ll say - oh my god me too.
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That last point was a good segway into today’s feel good thing, which are little weird things that make us feel good that deserve a spot in the spotlight so we can train our brains to seek out the good because they are so good at seaking out the bad.
Today’s feelgood thing. . . is when someone says. ME TOO. In today’s context, its that, you’re feeling blah? Oh my god ME TOO. But it really applies to so many things. It’s that moment of connection, that soft realization that you’re not alone, that I’m not alone. I mean, normally we think we’re all so special, which we are, but special in the way of we’re an isolated human feeling these awful things that no one has ever felt before and there must be something wrong with us, we narrate ourselves into feeling terrible and alone. But the truth is - we’re not alone. There are always people going through similar things and similar feelings. And the moment we have the courage to voice something out about how we’re feeling, and someone sees you and connects with you and says - you know what, me too - it’s this little moment of exhale where we feel this comfort.
And then we wonder why we keep anything in at all!! Until we start doing it again and this whole pattern repeats itself. But for that moment of me-too, life is good.
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Alright my friend with all that, we will say goodbye for another week. This can be a tough time of year. It’s cold outside, it’s grey. And even if you live somewhere sunny and warm, January can still be a tough month. So if you are feeling the blahs, ME TOO and know that you are not alone, and that this will pass. Do things to nourish yourself in a way that works for you, talk it out, roll your eyes and move just a little and remember that even in the grumpiest of days, there is still some space to look around and acknowledge there is still a lot going for you, and a sunnier tomorrow is not a reason to postpone contentment today. Have a wonderful day, and I will see you next week on feelgoodery.
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