The sun is shining earlier. The flowers are blooming sooner. Trees on the lawn are showing off their pink buds. There is a bluebird outside your window.... .And you complain of feeling unhappy while so many others seem to be celebrating spring. You are stressed and sad. You survived the winter with it unexpected cold and dreary days without getting depressed. And now this dark mood.... WHY?
Change of any kind can be very difficult. Change homes, change schools, change jobs, change finances, change mates, change anything. Even positive change can throw you into a tizzy. You can easily sulk over a wonderful new spouse, a new child, a delightfully discovered vacation spot - even a new winning lottery ticket. It can be hard to adjust to change of any kind.
When the sunlight changes, your body's chemicals change too. Your melatonin levels change and cause changes in the times you wake, the times you sleep, the times you eat and the times to have contact with friends or family, Your memories may not be your best friends at this time either. You may be able to recall spring weddings, proms, graduations and you start asking yourself why you are unable to experience the previous joys of those landmark occasions and while you are in this funk, you may also be troubled by allergies which can require medications that leave you too sleepy to even try enjoyment of extra sunlight.
It is not surprising the T. S. Eliot wrote that "April is The Cruelest Month.....while you try to mix memory and desire."
HOW TO COPE:
- Remember that you are not alone with your feeling that "I ought to feel happier."
- Reach out to others who are sharing your difficult experience.
- Know that many others seek counseling for the first time at the beginning of the spring season.
- Find a therapist who understands.
- Create new springtime rituals that can help you associate new seasons with new feelings. Plant seeds, write about your dreams. Love daily.
- Expose yourself to as much light as possible. Sun light can lower your blood pressure and improve your brain function. Talk with your physician about possible exposure to a light box.
- Exercise - especially when you are not in the mood.
- Give me a call to help yourself recognize how normal you are.