Sun-Seeking
/“Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 11:7)
Inspiration for this post came when I looked at the weather forecast. It appears that those living in southeast Michigan may not have the pleasure of seeing the sun today. Or tomorrow. In fact, according to the icons on my phone, the sun may not appear again for a full week.
I love living in Michigan, for many reasons. But this time of year can be tough. For me, it’s not so much the cold, but the gray, a heavy mantle that seems to suppress energy and good cheer.
Many people (at least those of us not in the tropics) know something about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depression that arrives most often in the winter. Its causes are unknown–one site says that decreased sunlight might “throw the biological clock out of whack.” Or maybe something about the light changes production of serotonin and melatonin, or maybe it’s Vitamin D. Perhaps all we really need to know is what Solomon so aptly observed 3,000 years ago: Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. The cloudy cold of winter sometimes brings low energy, decreased motivation, sluggishness (or agitation), sleep problems, lack of concentration, overeating, and social withdrawal. How we’re affected can range in severity from a mid-winter mood slump to clinically diagnosable depression.
Popular recommendations for treating SAD include advice such as “exercise regularly,” “take up a winter sport,””be socially active,” and “plan a trip” (to somewhere sunnier). Certainly, do these if you can. But when you feel like you can barely get off the couch to go to bed, these big goals can all seem unreachable.
When I feel overwhelmed, it helps me to think small. If tackling the mess in the kitchen makes me want to give up before I even start, I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes and see how much I can get done in that time. Usually, that’s enough to nudge me through the slump. Lists also help. If I write something down, I’m more likely to do it, especially on those days when getting started feels harder.
So, for those who want to join me in small push-backs against the gray, here are some ideas that don’t include daily full-body gym workouts or a big vacation. If you choose to do one or two today, or tomorrow, or the next day, it might open some space for light to sneak in through the gray.
Ten light-seekers that take ten minutes
Go outside for ten minutes. Apparently outdoor light really does affect us differently, even if the sun has to pass through banks of gray before it reaches us.
Write a list of people you’d like to get together with (coffee, lunch, a walk…) Reach out to one of them and suggest it.
Make another list: “Things I’ve been needing to get done.” Start one of them. (For me: scheduling doctor appointments and a troubleshooting slot at the Apple store.)
Observe your surroundings and notice what is beautiful,. Be attentive with all senses! (For me this morning: The patterns of winter branches against the sky, and a bird song that sounded like the beginning of spring.)
Schedule thankfulness. There’s been attention recently on studies that show connections between gratitude and happiness. Decide on 3-5 times during the day when you can stop, take a breath, and say “I am grateful for…” You might set a timer for these times as reminders, and it also helps if you write them down.
Choose a piece of Scripture, hymn, or song lyrics to memorize. Write down the words and put somewhere where you’ll find it later in the day, for repeated practice. (I’m working on Psalm 27 now, and my husband is learning “Hallajljah, Praise Jehovah.” Memorizing words with music gives the extra gift of stocking your memory storehouse for the future–music lasts a long time.)
Look through photos. Choose one that makes you happy and put it where you’ll see it, maybe taped by a desk or as computer wallpaper. Five minutes watching a slideshow of nature photos can also a good perspective-broadening gift.
Make your technology work for you in other ways: Create a playlist of life-affirming music that lightens your heart. What makes you want to dance in the kitchen? (I listened to “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons this morning and almost thought that I was on a gondola in sunny Venice). Or watch a short video that brings peace or a smile (One of my favorites, from before flash mobs were popular.)
Start preparing breakfast and/or lunch the night before, making it one step easier to eat healthily the next day. (I also like to set up with my morning spiritual routine. Putting the coffeemaker on a timer and setting out Bible, journal, and candle on my desk make it more inviting to leave my bed in the morning.)
Choose one of the longer activities below, find a time for it, and put it in your calendar.
Five light-seekers that take an hour (or a little more)
Go to a library or bookstore just to wander and relax. These two places never fail to lift my spirits, but you can adapt this and make your destination another location that might revive your sluggish creativity–Lowe’s if you’re energized by house projects, a greenhouse to daydream about the summer garden, art/craft store if a row of colored pencils and pastels can make your heart sing.
Visit a botanical garden or art museum or gallery. It fills the senses with life, color, beauty.
Head to the grocery store for healthy foods that you’ll enjoy eating. Maybe a new vegetable, a wholesome frozen meal, the yogurt you’ve been meaning to eat more of, or a vitamin or supplement that you’ve not gotten around to trying.
Buy two bouquets of flowers or two small plants. Keep one for yourself. Bring the other to someone who would be blessed by it. Having a boost of color and green life indoors is wonderfully cheering against the backdrop of gray. Someone brought me tulips last week. I put them on a table, replacing a bowl of pinecones and gold ornaments lingering from Christmas, and was amazed at how it changed the feel of the space.
Research and purchase a light therapy box or lamp, which mimic natural light. It can be hard to measure how helpful they are, but it seems like it can’t hurt to have some extra light.
Most important
I hope these lists are hopeful and helpful, that you can choose one thing to try, and don’t feel disheartened by reading all those ideas at once. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the lists, skip them for now, and please just think about these two:
Don’t hold yourself back from getting help. If you feel increasingly alone, isolated, and hopeless, please reach out to doctor, counselor, friend or family who can walk with you.
God is patient and kind. He’s patient with you, and so you can be patient with yourself. It’s going to be okay. Spring comes after winter, and the sun will return. In the words of David Powlison, "The mercies of God in Jesus Christ give certainty that sadness does not get last say."
P.S. One more thing
If incentives help you, how about deciding on a goal that spans a few days or weeks of these sun-seeking activities and plan a treat for yourself when you’ve reached it? For example: Try to tally up 50 of these fight-the-gray activities (with some repeated), or do each of them at least once by the end of February. Local friends: Tell me about it if you reach either of these goals, and I’ll buy you a drink at the Common Cup!
