Sentimental Sunday: Post #2981 - June 2022
As it is winter right now, I am in a pretty good space as far as my depression goes. I do much better in the winter than in the summer. While the humidity happens here at the same levels, the air is easier to get in and out of my lungs. I enjoy the earlier nights, but I do miss the sunrises of the summer. I get to enjoy more sunsets during the winter. I am sitting here, reveling in my arthritic state, but I feel so much happier in the depths of winter than I do in the heat of summer.
Reading over this post, I am reminded that my summer bedroom will be my downstairs room. It is ready to go. After I wrote the post on June 9, 2022, I did set up the bed on the frame as well as move the boxes around. Since that time, I have done more clearing, organizing, and unpacking, but that area does need some attention, so it will go on the five-minute clean-up list. If I had to, I could sleep down here right now, but I am using my winter bedroom at the moment. I still haven't figured out a way to hang my scrubber holder on the wall, but I think a nail will help that situation. I was looking at it yesterday, as a matter of fact.
Writing about "me" is not something that I want to do very often on this blog, but it happens. This is definitely an "all about me" post. One of the things that I have learned in all of my writings is that "me" is an important part of being a music therapist. I try my best to remember that the "me" part of things is not the only thing that I want to focus on in this space, but I am a part of the therapeutic triad.
There are times when I forget to take care of myself. There are times when it takes me a long time to remember that my Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is very real. It happens most years, and it affects my ability to function as a human being. If I cannot function as a human being, then I have little to no ability to function as a therapist. I need to remind myself of that fact on a regular basis because my SAD brain doesn't remember. I think I will set a time to move to the downstairs bedroom every year. My break at the start of the summer and the break at the end might be good times to contemplate the move, but it will have to depend a bit on the temperatures outside because nothing affects me more than hot, humid weather.
For this summer, I have some plans to help me with my depression. I have a season ticket to our (somewhat) local amphitheater's Broadway Musical season. This means that I will be out and around people on Thursday evenings. I will get chili fries and eat them outside, in the sunshine. I have a movie pass, so I can escape my thoughts and get out of my house to see movies. I am currently spending my Sunday afternoons at the movies, so that pattern will be easy to continue. Both of these things will help and are things that I used to do on a regular basis and then stopped. I haven't been to a musical in about six years. I also have some professional obligations scheduled already - the presentation for the World Congress. There may be some other things in the works as well. We will see if I can accomplish these things during this summer, in the middle of my SAD.
We are having a mild winter this year - at least, so far - so I am hoping that my friends who have SAD during the winter months are doing well. We have had lots of sunshine over the past several weeks, and we've only had one snow day so far. Often, by this time, we are into our fifth or sixth snow days. If a lack of sun in the winter affects you, my friend, I hope that you are able to find some relief by using sun lamps and spending time outside in the sunshine. If you are like me and find this season one that invigorates you, then I hope that you are going to have some plans in place for when your version of SAD shows up. My plan, being outside in the weather to get some sun and some music surrounded by strangers and then using up the air conditioning of the theater, may help a bit with my own version of SAD. We shall see.
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