There’s a Light

“…over at the Frankenstein place!”

So yeah, I watched Rocky Horror on TV over the weekend. It was not as nearly as much fun as I remembered it. [Although Tim Curry is still hot, thank the goddess! But I digress …]

So yes, there *is* a light. But it is coming from the eponymous daystar we call the Sun.

Okay, I can hear the D’oh zooming around the world. “But wait, I can explain.” [Inset giggles here because this phrase is the calling card of Julie, what then follows is a hysterically funny story. But again I digress …]

What I discovered was that the solar cycle may be a large part of the reason I am having such a tough time at the moment. And the light I am referring to is the bright sunshine that has been in short supply as of late. Which provided the light of insight when I realized that I might have a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. After a sunny day improved my fatigue, brain fog and sugar cravings drastically, I became curious. So I replaced my living room lamp light bulbs, taking out the CFCs and replacing them with full spectrum bulbs. And the mood improvement was again drastic. Leaving the living room area also produced a noticeable energy drop. Wow! This is huge!

So I dragged out my journals for the last few falls and noticed that I always attributed the fall fatigue and diminished activity levels to external sources of stress and/or my own perceived lack of internal will. But what if this was simply a part of my natural energy pattern associated with the seasonal change?

I had already noted my Solstice dip, my corresponding downward slide of energy starting at about Thanksgiving culminating at the Solstice and then rising steadily through Spring. So why had I not noticed the effect earlier, say starting at the Equinox? And the answer is again revelatory. I had not noticed because I was too busy beating myself up as it became harder and harder to focus or keep up my routines.

Um yeah, that makes sense … beat myself up just as I begin waning in energy … NOT. So guess who will be researching light boxes in the not so distant future? And… guess who will now consider seasonal changes in her annual planning matrix?

Posted in

Submitted by katrina on Tue, 12/02/2008 - 4:51pm.

Pax (not verified) | Sat, 01/03/2009 - 11:31pm

Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D is, if I remember right, a form of Depression that folks can fall into in Winter in climates with a lot less daylight in that time of year.

Being from Anchorage, Alaska... I've heard of it...

Google the disorder and I can recommend the Wikipedia and Mayo Clinic articles especially!

Peace and I hope you feel better!

Pax

»

Support your local crazed Mystic!

Subscribe to Katrina's Joy

PurchaseDark Beauty on Sale!

Or Leave a Tip ...


Recent comments

  • Deborah Bella (not verified)

    sweet! :-)

    9 weeks 4 days ago
  • Eridanus (not verified)

    You are usually able to annunciate what I do not have words for. Thank you!

    Much love,

    -Eridanus

    13 weeks 5 days ago
  • Hecate (not verified)

    INTJ here. I hear what you are saying.

    14 weeks 2 days ago
  • Deborah Bella (not verified)

    "what is remembered, lives". It was with sadness that I read of Wilma Mankiller's passing. She won't be forgotten.

    15 weeks 6 days ago
  • Anonymous (not verified)

    "...Weaver, Weaver weave this thread, whole and strong into your web...Healer, Healer, heal our pain...In love may she return again..."

    16 weeks 4 days ago
  • Ron Krumpos (not verified)

    While student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I became friends with Carl Rogers, who was respected as one of the leading psychotherapists of his time. He taught me much about the art of listening.

    Dr. Rogers said that when we listen, and people know we are listening, it shows we truly care about them. In turn, they will respond by caring about you. It opens communication and also opens hearts. When we accept them as a person, unconditionally, they will be more kind to you.

    We should listen without preconceptions, without anticipation and without judgement if we want others to portray what they truly feel. We listen with all our senses, not just to the words which are said. Some people cannot fully express themselves while speaking, so we must try to see them as they see themselves. We should watch for non-verbal clues as to what they really mean: facial expressions, body movements, etc.

    While we should show positive regard for the other person, we should also demonstrate our own positive self-regard. We do not react to their negative comments, verbally or physically, even when we disagree with them. When they do ask for our opinion, however, we should respond with our true thoughts and in specifics rather than generalities. We offer our own perspective as other options rather than as contradictions.

    Listening might seem quite passive as opposed to speaking. It is actually very active. To paraphrase Bobby Kennedy, “I learn while listening. When I talk I don’t learn too much.” If you think talking helps to spread your own wisdom, you are not really wise.

    16 weeks 5 days ago