Winter Blues

This blog has been silent throughout the winter. Why? Well, do you know what winter blues is? That’s what happened to me this winter. Basically that comes down to a lot of sleep, little energy, no desire to go anywhere or do anything. It turns out that as much as 10% of the population in the Netherlands suffers from this form of mood disorder. The winters here can be really depressing: no sun, no snow, gray sky, cold wind, drizzle.

So, how do you cope with that? Essentially, I just accepted the situation as it was. I was telling myself: just keep surviving the winter and hoping for the spring to come soon. I cut back on many commitments and projects, did virtually nothing outside work, read several books, watched lots of movies, and spent time with my daughter.

I also went to see my medical doctor, who recommended light therapy, which is about sitting 30 minutes in front of a special lamp every morning for one or two weeks. I had to wait a few weeks before I could sign up for that, so in the end I did my therapy in the end of March, when I already started to feel better. I still don’t know whether it really helped, or whether I was recovering anyway due to longer days and more sunshine. At least it had a disciplining effect on me: I had to get up early every morning to be in down town by 8:30, which was actually one of the biggest problems. But I emerged from those two weeks refreshed and again full of zest for life.

So if you ever get into a winter blues, try light therapy. They say it really helps!