{Echo} 8 - "Juicy"

I've often wondered, "If winter is so white, then why do I feel so blue?"

Granted, living with BiPolar Disorder means living with a susceptibility to long periods of depression, especially during the winter months. However, a large portion of the population as a whole suffers with SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is brought on during long periods of diminished sunlight. Of course one can take medication to ward off the symptoms of depression, but then there is a pill for everything these days. Yes, you sense a bit of sarcasm there. I'm not saying medication is not warranted. I take medication. But I am also a firm believer in taking a mind set that encourages its own well being and recovery. With that in mind, I've compiled a short "David Letterman-esque" list of ways to get through a Blue-Day white day:

Listen to a "Sun-Shiny" tune:

Grow and save summer in a jar:

 

 or a tall frosty glass.

Savor the reminder of melodious crickets and cicadas

(and blades of grass under bare feet).

Left © Alyice Edrich / Right © Brenda Lynn

Pull out your paints, your paper, pencils, markers, etc. Heck, pull it all out. Scatter it about you. Immerse yourself in all their succulent, juicy colors and spread sunshine on your palette.
Build an eternal summer on your canvas.

Take long walks on sunny days, even when you feel buried alive:

 
Always, always search out the beauty in the bleak:

  

And often there's humor in the bleak as well:

Lastly, try to keep in mind:

"In the depths of winter I finally learned that there was in me

an invincible summer." ~Albert Camus

In other words, it's up to you. Yes, some folks undeniably need the additional help of medications to help stabilize their moods. I am one of them. Regardless, how we set our minds and how we spend our time has a dramatic impact on the severity and duration of our Blue-Day moods.

This little list is not meant as a "fix-all", nor is it exhaustive. It is simply what helps me get through our long mid-western winters. Simple healthy habits like regular sleep and diet are also very important. My point here is simply to encourage you to see the glass half-full, no matter your circumstance. Find the beauty in the bleak. Play a sun-shiny tune. Paint that eternal summer across the canvas of your soul.

Please visit my partner Alyice Edrich's Juicy post here. For more on the Echo Project, please click through with the icon on the top right sidebar.

Peace to you and yours,