I have been thinking that maybe I have SAD (seasonal affective disorder). You know the one where you get the blues when the weather turns gray. (Like that ever happens in Seattle--ha). In thinking about it, it seems like every year around November I start to get blue, lose motivation to do anything (and I mean anything). It generally seems to last through January and some into February. Now I don't know for sure, but it seems pretty suspicious that I get this way nearly every year. This year I was cruising with going to the gym. I could get my sorry behind out of bed at least 3x a week for serious exercise. My main motivation was that I would say to myself "You're going to Hawaii, get your butt out of bed" or "You're going to Hawaii you don't need that cake/brownie/candy, etc" This worked really well until I actually WENT to Hawaii in October. After I came home I had nothing to tell myself for motivation, but managed to still get to the gym at least twice a week and still 3x sometimes. Then November hit and it got worse and just kept going that way.
It's not just the gym, it's getting out of bed, leaving the house to go anywhere, doing any kind of housework. I just want to curl up in the chair with a book or worse, just lie on the couch doing nothing. How pathetic is that.
It's not like I wasn't seeing results from going to the gym which has sometimes been the case with exercise things I have done. You feel like you are working your butt off and no butt is coming off!! I was actually seeing some butt coming off (not to be crude but there it is). I WAS seeing results and feeling good about it all. Then came November, then December and January.
So here it is February, the weather has been really nice here in Seattle. Still rather gray, but the days are getting longer and we are seeing some sunshine. My gym membership is up for renewal and I am hesitant to renew it in case this lethargy, inertia, whatever it is continues. Or maybe that's just the motivation I need. (That and the fact that I can tell I am totally losing what I worked so hard for all last year!)
SAD, well who really knows but it seems mighty suspicious to me that my motivation seems to be going up with the lengthening of days and improvement in the weather!
(Not my picture BTW, just one I found when I googled seattle weather pictures)
3 comments:
SAD is sooo real. Aleta really suffered with it in Olympia and was like a new woman when they moved.
So many things can affect your mental ability to cope. It is not all willpower and pulling up by the ol bootstraps.
When I read the title of this post "Lethargy vs Motivation" my mind instantly responded...Lethargy. I've been in a funk of sorts for years I think!
Here's hoping the sunshine returns.. or you get some SAD lights.
OR... you could come visit me every january?
You hit it right on. I thought maybe it was just me getting old that would account for my initial loss of motivation and then lethargy afterwards. I'm s l o w l y . . starting to get back on the exercise routine. But, slow would be the key word there.
Doesn't help that I'm so tired by the time I actually get home I want to just crawl into bed. Instead I just eat - a LOT!
And to think, it's only 6 more weeks until spring. And in Idaho as you know, spring means two more months of winter.
Ok. It's not really that bad. But it ain't all that good either.
So, good thing Chuck scheduled a cruise for spring break.
I'll try the "I'm going on a cruise, so I need to fit into a suit" mantra, but not sure....pretty sure I'll just bring a nice cover up.
Good luck. I'm rooting for you. I have to say that my winter blues have been better since we started skiing. I think thats why I love it so much. Something about being in the mountains and its usually sunny there when it's all dark here in the valley.
Post a Comment