Wintertime Blues

Barbara's loyal balloons guide her with writing.

The balloons help energize Barbara.

Do you struggle with wintertime blues? I know I do as the days get shorter. I went to a condo homeowner’s association meeting last night and sat in a chair prepared to listen and take notes. Instead, I nodded off to sleep during a good part of the meeting. No one chatted about Mylar balloons, nor did I regale anyone with my latest balloon adventure at the Giant and Acme supermarkets. No seminars on writing techniques or opportunities to get a critique on my WIP. Instead, the conversation centered over graphs, numbers, and charts as the Board discussed the upcoming 2015 budget. Every so often, tempers exploded over some imaginary error a Board member committed. I frankly felt that the Board members deserved serious balloons!

What’s more, the meeting room was cold, enough to necessitate my sweater and winter coat. I suspect the people in charge dropped the temperatures so that the attendees would stay awake and pay attention. Their actions had the opposite effect on me. Cold drains my energy, and during winter I need an average of nine hours of sleep each night. I do my best writing and meeting attendance on my “off” days from work when I’m rested. During the winter, I’m more liable to sleep through a meeting. Come spring, I’ll have more energy for meetings and the like. My doctors mention seasonal affective disorder, but I think of it as the wintertime blues.

Last year, when I worked under a deadline during the winter, I made the writing my first priority when I get home from work, while I still had energy left. I need to start doing that again. Then after seven, I can go through my email, wrestle with my balloons, or browse the online shops. Buying a Mylar balloon should help my energy stores, too.

Do you struggle with the wintertime blues? How does it affect your writing and other activities? What helps you shore up energy during the cold winter? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

About Barbara Custer

Author of: Twilight Healer Steel Rose Life Raft: Earth City of Brotherly Death Close Liaisons Infinite Sight When Blood Reigns Infinite Sight Publisher / Editor of Night to Dawn Books & Magazine
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6 Comments

  1. I thrive in the cold and I seem to have better success in the fall and winter. I prefer the cold it charges my brain that gets lazy in the heat. Ah, the creative process.

    • You sound like my two older sisters – one of them loves skiing, while my brain gets lazy in the cold. One man’s medicine and all that. 🙂 Barbara of the Balloons

  2. I have the same feelings as you about winter. That’s why I love to head south during the heart of the winter months. The cold goes right through me, and I’m less productive. I, like you, try to get more sleep, including a nap every day in the late afternoon. I also agree that it’s hard to stay awake during boring meetings. Sometimes I think those people who need to pontificate at these meetings are on a big power trip. Who wants to deal with that?

    My solution, like yours, is to find something pleasurable to do each day. I look forward to reading. Right now, I”m reading a book by Father Martin, SJ,,on the lives of the saints. His book, Jesus A Pilgrimage, was informative and fascinating.

    Went Christmas shopping at Oxford Valley today and bought men’s underwear. It wasn’t fu,n but I got some good exercise, but not as good as my favorite activity, Zumba. I think you’ve found the best diversion of all—balloons! They’re always there when you need them.

    • I’m hoping I can go south during the winter months after I retire, or at least a two-week vacation. I can’t leave Mike for any long period of time. But I love the idea of reading the book of the saints, especially around Christmas. You’re right about my balloons. They have my back! 🙂 Barbara of the Balloons

  3. As you probably know this isn’t the time of year I struggle with the cold. Where I am there was a heat wave last night making sleep difficult. In fact I find it harder to write under really hot conditions but still manage to do so because it is in the blood. I do my best writing on the train whether it be winter or summer. Winter is a depressing time for some people. If you are out and about before sunrise and expect to start work in a twilight world it can make you feel isolated. Then you realize that others also have to be up early to make things happen and to keep the machinery of society going. I have learnt to take weather conditions on the chin and to make the best of bad situations. Sometimes just looking forward to a hot cup of coffee when it is cold does the trick. All things considered, just having something to look forward to helps in just about every situation.

    • And under really hot conditions I blossom. I have some pleasant things to look forward to in January – promo, after Christmas sales, and the like. That does help. 🙂 Barbara of the Balloons

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